GHOST TRAIN (괴기열차) (2025)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Tak Se-woong
Cast: Joo Hyun-young, Jeon Bae-soo, Choi Bo-min
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 17 July 2025

Synopsis: The Video Goes Viral! People Mysteriously Disappears at Gwanglim Station Da-kyung (JOO Hyun-young), a horror YouTuber desperate for views, uploads a video about the eerie urban legends surrounding Gwanglim Station – the site of the highest number of missing person cases in the country. The video goes viral overnight. Despite everyone's warnings, Da-kyung's thirst for views only grows stronger. But as she digs deeper, she uncovers a shocking secret behind the station... The Gwanglim Station legend – never before revealed. "Do you believe in the rumours?"

Movie Review:

Underground train stations are the perfect setting for spine-chilling stories. Their dim lighting, eerie silence, and long, empty platforms naturally lend themselves to unsettling tales. Think flickering lights, strange echoes, or the mysterious sound of footsteps when no one else is around. One of the most common fears many people share is being alone late at night, anxiously waiting for the last train, eyes fixed on the glass doors - half-hoping, half-dreading that nothing out of the ordinary will suddenly appear.

This Korean horror flick taps into exactly that fear, turning the everyday experience of taking the train into something terrifying. If you're easily spooked, you might want to sit this one out.

Directed by Tak Se-woong, the film centres on Da-kyung (Joo Hyun-young), a female content creator who specialises in producing horror YouTube videos. She’s determined to rise to the top by chasing viral hits, but her rival is a beauty YouTuber from the same company, and the competition is fierce. So when Da-kyung gets wind of a chilling series of disappearances linked to the eerie Gwanglim Station (don’t bother Googling it—it’s fictional), she sees it as her golden opportunity. Driven by ambition, she dives headfirst into uncovering secrets that were never meant to resurface.

Given the plot, the filmmakers have a solid excuse to structure this 95-minute film around episodic stories. The upside? You don’t have to wait long for the scares to kick in. There’s no need to sit through lengthy backstories, slow build-ups or deep character arcs - just dive straight into the tension and enjoy the final jolt. However, this approach comes with its drawbacks. The storytelling lacks depth, and with so many characters introduced in quick succession, it’s hard to feel invested in any of them.

As with most anthology-style films, some stories land better than others. One of the more gruesome tales involves the beauty YouTuber, who develops a horrifying skin condition after touching a strange, sticky substance on a train handrail - cranking up the film’s gore factor. Another surprisingly poignant segment follows a homeless man who discovers a mysterious coin and uses it to buy a drink from a vending machine. It hits a quiet emotional note, subtly reflecting the harsh reality of how the homeless (especially in urban subway systems) can vanish without a trace, often unnoticed and uncared for.

Naturally, the story circles back to Da-kyung in the final segment, but this is where the film starts to feel like it’s stretching to reach a conclusion. Still reeling from unrequited feelings for her boss (Choi Bo-min) who seems more interested in the beauty YouTuber, Da-kyung turns to the station master (Jeon Bae-soo), the mysterious figure behind much of her content.

What follows is a longer, more elaborate tale involving a cult and former train station employees who met a grim end. By this point, it becomes clear that the movie has played most of its cards. You’re left to sit through the rest of the special effects and jump scares, fully aware that something this over-the-top probably won’t ever happen in real life - thankfully.

Movie Rating:

(Offering some decent scares, this Korean horror flick delivers quick, episodic thrills with just enough shock value to keep genre fans entertained)

Review by John Li