Ghost Train, on BluRay

It only seems logical that you should have have a “ghost train” to go with a “ghost station.” Now Well Go USA has both. Jeong Yong-ki’s The Ghost Station explicitly set its hauntings in notorious Oksu Station, which has become the epicenter of urban legends thanks to a hit web comic. This film takes place in Gwanglim Station, but it is clearly inspired by Oksu and Japan’s Kisaragi Station, the granddaddy of all haunted metro stops. Regardless, commuters would be better off taking the bus in Tak Se-woong’s Ghost Train, which releases today on BluRay.

Da-kyoung, a.k.a. “The Horror Queen” is n influencer without influence, who works for a sad Gawker-Vice-style YouTube network, trying to bring home the eyeballs. Unfortunately, clicks are down, so Gwanglim Station might be her last hurrah. However, premium booze has a knack for loosening the Station Master’s tongue. Thanks to his stories, her views start climbing. They also give the film an anthology vibe, because they seem relatively self-contained and thematically diverse. (It is also hard to see how he would know some of these things, but who wants to be pedantic, right?)

In any event, bad stuff happens down there. Eventually, an informant tells Da-kyoung the station was built on top of a cult church, where the members committed mass suicide to grant their leader immortality. That is creepy element that helps distinguish Train from Station.

Frankly, the two films are quite evenly matched in most ways. Joo Hyun-young’s performance as Da-kyoung is generally on par with everyone appearing in Ghost Station. However, Jeon Bae-soo eventually takes over the film, to its advantage, in a very strange and memorable way as the world-weary Station Master.

On the other hand, Ghost Station follows a more cohesive story, whereas screenwriter Jo Ba-reun engages in puzzling circular arcs and frequently revisits scenes from other characters’ perspectives, a la Pulp Fiction. Frankly, this kind of narrative gamesmanship often feels out of place.

Still, there is a lot of atmospheric urban legend-ish creepiness afoot. If you enjoyed Ghost Station it is a near absolute-certainty you will dig Ghost Train too. Easily recommended for fans of K-horror, Ghost Station releases today (2/17) on DVD and BluRay.