It’s becoming a rare feat for any trailer to get me excited, and maybe that is why I wasn’t sure about Bullet Train. Sure, there are many great names attached to it, and the trailer looked objectively cool, but I have seen one too many cool-looking trailers for movies that turned out to be mediocre at best. Nevertheless, I went to see Bullet Train in cinemas with my girlfriend and was surprised by… well, everything. From the cast to some surprising (and fun) cameos to the story and how much I have enjoyed myself.

Bullet Train could be described as a hybrid between Tarantino and Ritchie. The movie has a complex enough story with many tiny storylines that (for the most part) tie together quite neatly. What it also has going for it is the quick and witty dialogue. If you were to sit down with Zak Olkewicz (this film’s screenwriter) and ask him for writing inspiration, he would name both of the directors/writers I named above quite quickly, as there is no denying the similarities to this film’s style and their movies. And yet, Bullet Train never felt like a cheap “rip-off”. That would be my first positive thing to say about this film; it never gets boring. The film has quite a few “B”, “C”, and “D” storylines to keep you entertained without being overwhelming, and what’s more, the film knows when to reveal any information and when to wait just a tad longer.

We need to talk about that huge cast but before we do, let me assure you I won’t spoil the fun cameos in this film. I will only talk about the “advertised” cast because I went in not knowing who would pop out and when and that is the way to enjoy this film. We must start with Brad Pitt. For the past few years, he’s been having more fun with not just his roles; but the movies he chooses to appear in. He seems more relaxed, chilled and loose, and I am all in for this stage of his career. What I liked about his character (Ladybug is a pretty decent cover name) was how he was just a human. He wasn’t a few steps ahead of anyone; he got his ass beat up several times in the film and isn’t a “James/Jason Bond/Bourne” type of character. But that doesn’t mean he was slow or incompetent; quite the opposite, he seemed like somebody who could exist. What I mean is we often get these untouchable kick ass agent-types, who not only have six pack but can do it all; from spying to hacking, they often seem “too good”. And Brad’s Ladybug seemed like somebody wrote him based on an actual person who gets the job done, but it rarely goes smoothly.

I enjoyed Joey King and Hiroyuki Sanada also they both had some cool scenes (mainly Hiroyuki should get more action roles!); but as many fans who have seen Bullet Train can confirm, the highlight of this film was two brothers portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. Their characters (Tangerine and Lemon) were “fine” at first, but the more time I spent with them and watched them interact, the more I fell in love with them. The nonsense attitude of Aaron’s character and the love and recognition Brian’s character had for Thomas the Tank Engine was something else. No matter how many references to Thomas the Tank Engine you think you will hear, there are more coming, and sure, it seems silly at the beginning, but just like with everything in this film, there is a payoff. And both Aaron and Brian did excellent jobs with their characters; I would love to see a movie revolving just around the two of them.

And when you have a film that’s 95% on one location (like a train in this instance), it’s all about the story and characters to keep you occupied and this film nails that aspect. I never once felt “cheated” or bored by the film being on the train almost exclusively as I was enjoying it more and more. That is something Bullet Train has going for it as well; this film is the closest to a “slow-burning gem” as I have seen in ages because it starts pretty fast already, but every 15 minutes, the film seems to kick into a higher gear. By the end, the movie goes off the rails (figuratively and literally), but by that point, I was already on board with everything and had a blast. Is the end possibly too much? Yeah, I can see it. Did all the storylines make sense? For me, yes, but I can see how, on future rewatches, I might find a plot hole or two. Did I have fun times with this film? Abso-fucking-lutely. This film is something I didn’t know I needed, and it joined my imaginary queue of movies I can’t wait to rewatch when it comes out. More than that, I will move into my own flat soon, and I will finally start my 4K collection, and you can bet Bullet Train will be part of it sooner rather than later.

Overall, Bullet Train surprised me on every front. I went in expecting decent enough action and some laughs, and what I got was that and so much more. I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie would be “discovered” in 10 – 15 years. We all know those sites writing clickbaity articles titled: “Critically underrated films of the 2020s, and why you should watch them now!” or “I bet you good money you haven’t watched this amazing action film starring BRAD PITT!”. Don’t get me wrong, the box office and reception for this movie were “decent”, but I know this film deserves better than decent. Especially in such an overcrowded action “market”, Bullet Train feels fresh, fast and almost unstoppable; if you haven’t watched it yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke