Colony’s Shocking RT Score: Is It Better Than Train to Busan?

Thescreescore – A decade following his groundbreaking Train to Busan, the visionary Korean director Yeon Sang-ho makes a triumphant return to the zombie subgenre with his highly anticipated film, Colony. This new narrative plunges audiences into a claustrophobic nightmare within a corporate high-rise, where a group of quarantined survivors battles the relentless onslaught of the infected after a devastating outbreak. Released in the United States this week, Colony‘s arrival serendipitously aligns with the 10th-anniversary 4K re-release of its iconic predecessor, and it’s already shattering long-standing Rotten Tomatoes benchmarks.

Initially premiering to critical acclaim at Cannes earlier this year, Colony secured a robust 80% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. However, it’s the audience reception that has truly set the film apart. Debuting with a stellar 93% audience score, Colony is poised to become Yeon’s highest-rated film by viewers, potentially eclipsing Train to Busan‘s impressive 90% and marking a significant career resurgence. This enthusiastic reception is particularly noteworthy given the mixed reactions to some of Yeon’s more recent projects, such as Revelations, The Ugly, and Jung_E.

Reviewers have lauded Colony as a definitive "return to form" for Yeon, praising its intense, claustrophobic atmosphere reminiscent of Train to Busan, albeit transposed to a corporate setting. Beyond the gripping premise, critics have highlighted the film’s technical brilliance, including its cinematography and production design, alongside the innovative zombie choreography and the deeply grounded performances delivered by its lead actors, Jun Ji-hyun and Ji Chang-wook.

Financially, Colony has already proven to be a resounding success. Produced on an estimated budget of $12 million, the film has garnered approximately $43 million in its home country of South Korea alone, according to Box Office Mojo. While its opening weekend performance in North America remains to be seen against competitors like Buddy, The Dog Stars, and Coyote vs Acme, its domestic triumph mirrors the global impact of Train to Busan, which earned $2.1 million during its initial U.S./Canada run and has since accumulated over $94 million worldwide through various releases.

Yeon Sang-ho’s journey with the Train to Busan universe has seen varied outcomes. The animated prequel, Seoul Station, released mere months after the original, received a perfect 100% from critics but was met with a disappointing 39% audience score. Four years later, the standalone sequel Peninsula also divided audiences and critics, scoring 55% and 76% respectively. The shift from pure horror to an action-heavy narrative, coupled with criticisms regarding CGI and character development, somewhat diluted its impact. While a third installment was hinted to return to the original’s gritty premise, concrete developments have been scarce since 2020. Meanwhile, an American adaptation, The Last Train to New York, has been in development since 2018, with Timo Tjahjanto directing and Gary Dauberman writing. Producer James Wan recently clarified that this project aims to be a continuation rather than a direct remake, though its production status remains in flux.

As Colony captivates audiences, Yeon Sang-ho is already looking ahead to his next venture, the South Korean psychological thriller Paradise Lost, based on Oh Seong-eun’s Black Inferno. Starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sun, this adaptation is set to premiere at TIFF this coming September. For now, Colony, co-written by Yeon and Choi Gyu-seok, produced by Yoomin Hailey Yang, and featuring a talented ensemble including Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, and Go Soo, is now playing in theaters, offering a fresh, visceral take on the zombie apocalypse.