The hassle of going through security on aeroplanes is not there on trains, which are frequently speedier and more comfortable. As there aren’t many classics that fully utilise the wonders of rail transit, trains’ underappreciated nature also seems to extend to their role in movies. Let’s take a look at some of the best train movies from the past several decades that have utilised trains in creative ways.
1. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Director- Alfred Hitchcock
After taking a holiday in the tiny European nation of Mandrika, Iris Henderson makes the decision to head back to London. She meets the old governess Miss Froy, who will be taking the same train as her. Just before she departs, and becomes friends with her. Following boarding, they head to the dining car for tea while sharing the same compartment. A short time later, however, Iris is not only unable to find Miss Froy—no one will even acknowledge having seen her. But she is also met with complete apathy. She believes a conspiracy exists, but Dr. Hartz indicates she might be hallucinating. As a result of a brain injury she suffered soon before they left. Gilbert, a musician, is the only ally she has, and they collaborate to unravel the riddle.
2. Train To Busan (2016)
Director- Yeon Sang-Ho
To visit his estranged little daughter, Su-an, Seok-woo, a divorced father and a busy hedge fund manager, reluctantly takes the lightning-fast KTX bullet train from Seoul to Busan. But against the backdrop of an unprecedented threat in the form of a virulent zombie outbreak. A grotesque undead stowaway will soon involve both passengers and train crew in a frantic struggle for survival. As one compartment after another succumbs to the sheer volume of the recently infected flesh-eaters. Hope seems to suddenly be found in the train’s destination amid this relentless miniature hell on earth.
3. The General (1926)
Director(s)- Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
On the Western and Atlantic railroad, Johnnie Gray works as an engineer on his train, The General. He does his hardest to enlist in the Confederate army after North and South declare war. But is rejected since he works in a specific occupation. His girlfriend Annabelle and her family don’t trust him. She feels ashamed because they believe he is avoiding his obligations. When the Union army’s attempt to grab the General stops in Big Shanty, they seize it and flee to the north. Johnnie sneaks behind enemy lines to save his train and his girl, Annabelle Lee, who is a passenger on the train.
4. Strangers On A Train (1951)
Director- Alfred Hitchcock
Guy Haines is a well-known tennis player. He gets recognised on a fast train by eccentric Bruno Anthony while deep in concentration and contemplating what prevents happiness. An ingenious, deadly murder plot gradually takes shape as the complete strangers exchange pleasantries. Bruno demonstrates a thorough understanding of Guy’s private life. Bruno is more than willing to assist Guy in getting rid of his adulterous wife Miriam in exchange for Guy helping Bruno by getting rid of his despised father. In fact, the systematic plan’s simplicity makes it excellent. Since they would have committed different murders, there would be no connection between the two passengers.
5. Snowpiercer (2013)
Director- Bong Joon-Ho
The year is 2031, and everyone on board the Snowpiercer is trapped in a frozen planet. The world’s survivors have been travelling the world on a train for seventeen years while developing their own class structure and economy. A group of lower-class passengers living in filth at the back of the train are driven by Curtis to make it to the front so they can share the wealth. The party must fight their way past many surprises in each segment of the train. There is a revolution going on.
6. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Director- Joseph Sargent
The Pelham 1-2-3 subway train in New York City is taken over right in front of everyone by a determined band of four masked, heavily armed, and color-coded criminals. If a sizable one million dollar ransom in cash is not given within an hour, the savage criminals threaten to begin killing one hostage per minute in the cramped metro rail coach filled with eighteen defenceless passengers. In those conditions, a maddening race against time begins as the stern Transit Authority police lieutenant, Zachary Garber, seeks to outwit his crafty foe, Mr. Blue. But disorder rules on a deeper level.
7. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Director- Wes Anderson
Three brothers who are all dealing with despair meet up on a train ride across India a year after their father died accidentally. Francis, the oldest, has put it together. The brothers quarrel, mope around, hate one another, and fight. The youngest, Jack, is drawn to one of the train staff members despite being estranged from his fiancée. Peter buys a poisonous snake after leaving his pregnant wife at home. After a few days, Francis reveals their unexpected and unsettling final location. Can the brothers resolve their issues in a different environment? The reconciliation includes a burial, a meditation, a mountaintop ceremony, and the Bengal Lancer.
8. Source Code (2011)
Director- Duncan Jones
Captain Colter Stevens, a veteran soldier, finds out he’s on a search for the Chicago commuter train bomber when he wakes up in the body of an unidentified guy. He discovers he is a participant in a government experiment known as the “Source Code,” a software that gives him the ability to assume the identity of another man for the final eight minutes of his life, in a task unlike any he has ever experienced.
9. Murder On The Orient Express (1974)
Director- Sidney Lumet
Famous Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot travels back to London on the opulent Orient Express while daydreaming about some much-needed relaxation. Hercule’s joy, however, only lasts a little while. The moustachioed detective must, whether he likes it or not, look into the complex case of the terrible murder as the blood of a fellow passenger stains the otherwise lovely journey and a huge avalanche compels the swift locomotive to come to a stop. Poirot must therefore utilise his impressive skill set to his advantage in a small space where everyone is a suspect before the unidentified killer commits another crime. The remaining elite travellers appear to be connected by a bizarre coincidence. These are the best train movies to make you feel like a million bucks.
