“Bullet Train”, an action/comedy movie released in mid-2022, completely slipped under my radar around the time it came out. I only saw it once it dropped on Netflix and it completely blew away all my expectations. Starring big names such as Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Joey King, this movie is sure to please any lovers of a fast-paced, action-packed plot.
The premise is quite simple, but gets increasingly complicated as it goes along. A secret agent, who goes by the code name Ladybug, played by Brad Pitt, is sneaking aboard a bullet train in Japan. His goal involves snatching a single briefcase before getting off at the next stop. Ladybug, who is notoriously unlucky, is hoping for a simple job, since many of his past jobs have gone awry. However, as his bad luck would have it, nothing is that simple.
He is only supposed to be on the train for one stop, but gets more and more frustrated with the recurring incidents that keep him from getting off. While he is on the train, he must dodge and hide from fellow agents, members of the Japanese mafia, known as the Yakuza, and the original owners of the briefcase he was supposed to steal.
As the film progresses, more characters and perspectives are added to the equation, each character having a small number of segments showing what they are doing at a given time. This film introduces characters uniquely to anything I’ve ever seen before. When a new person comes on screen, they get a little title card with their name (or codename) on it. Most of them also have a backstory sequence with them, either to show how they got on the train, or how they know another one of the characters. Regardless of how long they are on screen, pretty much all of the main cast gets this kind of treatment, which really makes it feel like every character is their own person, and not just a plot device. One specific example of this individuality comes from another secret agent on the train, with the codename Lemon, played by Brian Tyree Henry. Lemon is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine, which isn’t just funny, but comes in handy at some points to judge others’ moral character. It sounds a little strange, but you might just have to watch it to know what I mean.
The setting makes this movie all the more interesting. Being set in Japan, which is a culture very much driven by respect, makes it funny to see the dichotomy between secret agents and Yakuza punching each other in one scene, and then transitioning to interacting with the staff on the train in broken Japanese. I don’t think this movie would’ve nearly been as good if it had been set in another place; the uniqueness of this culture makes it all the more immersive and incredibly fun to watch.
In short, I highly recommend this movie. If you aren’t too bothered by gore, and you like comedy movies, this is exactly right for you. I almost feel like this film was tailor-made for me, since I see a lot of my personality in the funny dialogue choices, the epic fight scenes, and the complicated nature of the plot. You can find “Bullet Train” on Netflix if you’d like to give it a try for yourself.
