Picture: Netflix
One runaway train, multiple bombs aboard, and a ticking clock to avoid a huge disaster and more casualties: these are the strong ingredients of this new reboot of cult classic Super Express 109. Directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla), the Netflix original movie is shaping up to be a major event in its Japanese lineup. But is it worth the (one-way) trip?
The movie is not a remake of the 1975 action classic Bullet Train, as the namesake train 109 is referenced as soon as the crisis is triggered, and investigators look into the resemblance between the two disasters. Nevertheless, the deceptively simple premise is kept: terrorists rig a bullet train to Tokyo with multiple bombs set to detonate if the train gets below 100 km/hour. The premise was inspired to make 1996 movie Speed, a fact not lost on Netflix, who has mentioned it in its marketing materials. But the most potent value of this remake is using actual bullet trains and subverting expectations; as such, there are acts of heroism throughout the movie, but very few heroes as such. The movie plays more like a tense crisis management with multiple twists in order to limit the casualties both inside and outside the train (the Hayabusa 60 Shinkansen bound for Tokyo, presented as state-of-the-art).
Bullet Train Explosion benefits from the cooperation of real Japanese railway company JR East, whose trains are featured in the film, therefore it has access to train depots, stations and can shoot most of its sequences practically, which lend a more realistic hand to the proceedings. Like most disaster movies, it dwells on an ensemble of characters, some in the central operation control center, some aboard the train itself. The crew aboard the train is the most compelling, with conductor Takaichi (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) and his colleague Fujii (Kanata Hosoda) lend more humanity to the proceedings. The rise in tension is pretty palpable, but one of the smarter things Bullet Train Explosion does in its update is the reaction of the passengers: most are reacting aggressively towards the crew, and some of them decide to exploit the situation to raise their profile on social media by resorting to fundraising for the ransom. A mayhem that gives a modern twist to the panic rising on the train, but stops short of providing political satire, even with a character of a female disgraced politician (nicknamed The Cougar for her involvement in a sex scandal) on board.
Bullet Train Explosion is compelling in its reconstitution of a safety plan, and the minutiae that underplays it with each passing station; there are very few attempts at ramping up the tension artificially, and the movie is made of two radically different parts. The first part is mostly a thriller that recounts the complex operations to locate the bombs and deal with them, while the second part is dealing with the causes of the terrorist plot and the drama that underlies it. If the dark emotional scenes threaten to derail – pun intended – the film, director Shinji Higuchi has a keen eye to mix the intimate with the more spectacular aspects of its plot. If some parts of the movie do not always work or really resonate – the more spoilery components of the story – the update provides a strong sense of pace, an endearing ensemble cast and enough sustained ambitions to be worth the watch.
Watch Bullet Train Explosion if you like
- iHostage
- Speed
- Unstoppable
MVP of Bullet Train Explosion
Non as Chika Matsumoto
Non (right) as train conductor Matsumoto. Photo credit: Netflix.
One of the many Japanese multi-hyphenates to grace local screens (as a model, an actress and a singer), Non is one of the more human and well-rounded characters of the movie, as female driver Matsumoto. Both no-nonsense and lively, she provides good chemistry with the character of Takaichi as an example of good rapport within a crew faced with extreme circumstances, as well as lighter and more human moments that are quite needed within the movie.
Verdict
A strong reimagining of a 1970s disaster movie that plays on realistic crisis management, smart commentary on the modern reactions to a crisis, and a fair share of twists. Bullet Train Explosion is one of the more entertaining offerings of Netflix in Asia this year.
Bullet Train Explosion streams on Netflix from Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025.
