The setting is impactful in every genre but beyond critical in horror films. Countless stories have been crafted by taking an existing scary movie and changing the background. Beloved monsters like zombies and werewolves are the go-to elements to slot into a new location. Paul Hyett’sHowland Yeon Sang-Ho’sTrain to Busanfollow ragtag groups of people fighting ravenous monsters on trains. They have more in common than one would think.
Paul Hyett is best known for his special effects work. He’s a frequent collaborator of Neil Marshall. He provided makeup and creatureeffects forThe Descent,Centurion, andDog Soldiers. Marshall’sDog Soldiersis a cult classic werewolf film, frequently counted as an underrated gem. Hyett has only directed two films sinceHowl.The Convent, a blatant ripoff ofThe Nun,andPeripheral, a strikingly prescient 2018 Cronenbergian body horror about AI art. Here’s hoping he comes back because his latest demands a follow-up.
What isHowlabout?
Howlfollows a group of passengers and employees on an overnight London train. Joe, a train guard taking a shift from a sick coworker, has an unrequited crush on tea trolley girl Ellen. She’s the only thing that allows him to tolerate his job, but she has no interest in him. The full moon hangs high as the train approaches its final stop. The vessel hits a deer, nearly derailing it. The driver steps out onto the tracks to free up the wheels. The passengers, Kate, Adrian, Matthew, Billy, Nina, and married couple Ged and Jenny, consider leaving the train to walk to the last station. Emergency services can’t reach them. As the travelers leave the vehicle, Joe and Ellen find the driver’s bloodied corpse. They call the passengers back.A massive werewolf attacks, biting Jenny as the rest of the group huddles into the train.
Joe, Ellen, and the passengers crowd into the steel train to evade the deadly creature’s attacks. The windows are reinforced. The roof is impenetrable. They quickly discover the train’s antenna has been destroyed, leaving them without cell reception and no way to call for help. Nina manages to get a signal, causing her phone to ring. When she steps away to answer it, the beast pulls her through an unprotected window. To battle the werewolf, the passengers seclude themselves in the middle car and barricade every window or door. It’s asimple, claustrophobic horror filmin which strangers must band together to fight a lethal foe.
HowlandTrain to Busan, Compared
Yeon Sang-ho’sTrain to Busancame just after the zombie craze that dominated horror media. It’s a simple premise, but its execution was masterful. The film follows a small group of passengers on a high-speed rail line in South Korea. Its premise is very similar toHowl’s. Narratively, they both exploit the claustrophobic horror of being trapped in a train with monsters. The difference comes in the writing, which elevatesBusanwhile weakeningHowl.Train to Busanis a film about class struggle and corporate responsibility. It can’t be easily reduced to a zombie apocalypse action horror film because it’s constantly wielding its message like a sledgehammer. It’s nuanced and intelligent.Howlfeatures some nods toward gender dynamics or the treatment of women in service industries, but it’s not built around its themes. It’s a difference of focus that leavesHowlon arental-ready shelf of B-moviesandTrain to Busanin the upper echelon of modern horror.
How doesHowlend?
After barricading themselves, Joe, Ellen, and the passengers kill the werewolf. Paul dies in the bathroom. Thewerewolf’s death cry awakensits packs, who attack in unison. Adrian realizes what they’re up against and attacks Jenny, recognizing the risk of her becoming a werewolf. Joe ties him up to stop him from killing Jenny even as she suffers visible symptoms. Werewolves pick off Billy, Matthew, Nina, and Kate. The wolves quickly board the train. Jenny transforms and attacks Ged. Joe kills her, saving Adrian. Adrian thanks him by trapping Joe and Ellen to use them as cover. Joe and Ellen escape into the forest. Joe sacrifices himself to let Ellen reach safety. She gets away, but Joe is forcefullytransformed into a werewolf. Adrian accidentally wanders into the area and watches Joe’s fate. The werewolves turn to see him in the film’s grim final shot.
Howlis a simple B-movie, but that’s all it needed to be. Its characters are generic but likable. Its creature effects are oddly charming. Whencompared toTrain to Busan, it reflects the brilliance of Yeon Sang-ho’s direction and Park Joo-suk’s writing.Howldoesn’t aspire to anything more than it needs to be. The narrative isn’t groundbreaking, but the simple pleasure of desperate strangers in a terrible situation continues to appeal. Go intoHowlexpecting a fun monster movie, and it’ll get where it needs to go on time.
MORE:Train To Busan Director Teases Third Movie In The Zombie Franchise
