Bullet Train Explosion is a Japanese action thriller that was released on April 23rd 2025 and is currently streaming on Netflix. Written by Kazuhiro Nakagawa and Norichika Ōba, and Directed by Shinji Higuchi, it has a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.
The film is based on (and acts as a sequel to) the 1975 film The Bullet Train. Similar to its predecessor, the film follows the passengers and crew of a bullet train that has been rigged with powerful explosives which will detonate if the train slows below a designated speed unless the country pays a ransom.
Premise
We are introduced to Japan Railways (JR East), a company that runs an elaborate bullet train system across Japan. Hayabusa 60 (5060B) is one of its trains that runs from Shin-Aomori station to Tokyo, supervised by head conductor Kazuya Takaichi and his rookie assistant, Keiji Fujii. We are also introduced to the Chika Matsumoto, the train’s young and dedicated driver.
“The safety of the passengers is my sole responsibility…”
The train is soon filled with various passengers; a school of students on a field trip, A recently disgraced politician and her secretary, a millionaire influencer, and A former president of a tourist company, among many others. The train departs from the station with practiced ease.
However, shortly into the train’s journey, an anonymous caller contacts JR East Headquarters, informing them that they have planted a bomb on Hayabusa 60, which will detonate if the train slows down below the speed of 100km/hour.
To prove the seriousness and validity of their claims, the bomber detonates a bomb on another cargo freight train. Certain now that this is for real, headquarters contacts the crew of Hayabusa 60, informing them of the situation alongside instructions to not make any stops and maintain a speed of 120km/hour; a speed that both complies with the bomber’s information and also gives them enough time to find a solution before the train reaches its final stop in Tokyo.
Furthermore, they halt and redirect all other trains to clear a path for them. They also instruct Takaichi to not inform the passengers yet, fearing the inevitable panic and chaos.
Back at the headquarters, the bomber calls again, demanding a ransom of 100 billion Japanese Yen (JPY). The staff attempt to start gathering the funds. However, they are stopped by the government, who reasons that complying to the culprit’s demands would inspire similar crimes in the future.
“Japan does not negotiate with terrorists.”
They also order the crew of Hayabusa 60 to inform the passengers of the situation. They do so, inevitably resulting in panic and chaos, especially when the bomber spams all the devices with a video of them planting the explosive in the Train’s engine.
Eventually, Takaichi and Fujii manage to calm the passengers down. However, a problem arises when another train in Hayabusa 60’s path stalls and isn’t able to dodge on time. With precise calculations from JR East’s staff, Hayabusa 60 is able to switch tracks, barely avoiding a full-on collision and just bumping the rear of the other train, successfully avoiding a disaster.
Unfortunately, that was just the first of many obstacles that await Hayabusa 60. The rest of the film spans a heart racing journey that sees multiple rescue attempts, emotional turmoil and discord amongst the passengers, and the ultimate reveal of the bomber(s) and their true motives in a shocking plot twist.
Cast and Performances
Bullet Train Explosion consists of an all-Japanese cast:
- Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as Kazuya Takaichi
- Kanata Hosoda as Keiji Fujii
- Rena Nounen as Chika Matsumoto
- Hana Toyoshima as Yuzuki Onodera
- Takumi Saitoh as Yuichi Kasagi
The character work in this movie is one of the best I’ve seen this year, and also the most realistic. What struck me especially is the fact that each main character seems to be a commentary on a societal norm when it comes to huge crises like this.
Kagami, the scandalous politician, realised how grave the situation was and her first instinct was to use it as a means to fix her reputation and ultimately further her political career.
Todoroki, the millionaire influencer, saw this as an opportunity to gain more popularity and sympathy from the general public. He also created a “platform” for people to donate the ransom money, and then pocketed the funds when there was no longer a need for it, revealing that his intention all along was just an ultimate cash grab.
Two other social media personalities completely ignored the situation altogether, focusing and placing blame on someone else entirely, only focusing on the main problem to sensationalize it for views and clicks.
In the midst of the panic, students bombarded and looted the snack stand for seemingly no reason. It’s ugly, and it causes you to curl up in distaste. But that’s only because it’s a clear reflection of who we are as a species. Humans are ugly, and will not hesitate to be callous and selfish when the right stars align.
I love that the ultimate ray of hope was the train’s crew. It prompts one to marvel at the level of mental, physical and emotional fortitude that is required of and possessed by individuals in such a seemingly high risk industry, e.g. flight pilots and attendants.
What I liked and didn’t like
I love the fact that this is a real thriller. Nowadays, people interpret thriller as just another word for horror or suspense or action. But this film literally had my heart racing (imagine being stressed over Japanese characters at 3am). The movie also somehow managed to avoid too many cliches, keeping it fairly unpredictable but also not going way out of control for the sake of a plot twist.
Speaking of plot twists, that villain reveal? Amazing.
Therein lay my first (and probably only) peeve though. I had a small problem with the villain’s motive. I mean, fair enough, it was appropriate enough given the context of their circumstances. But I expected something grander for such a high scale crime. But I suppose that was the point. That most heinous crimes like this are often rooted in triviality and thus should not be idolised, at least that’s my interpretation of it.
I also love the characters. Their initial repulsiveness only made their subsequent development that much more satisfying. And the characters that were already protagonists from the beginning did such a good job of making the viewers attached to them. So much so that I was equally as stressed and anxious as them upon every negative occurrence and equally as relieved upon every positive one.
Final Thoughts
This was a solid movie. A nice change of pace from my usual focus. I was initially apprehensive about it, expecting over exaggerations and stereotypes, but it turned out to be incredibly realistic but still maintaining the heart-racing qualities required for such a high pace, high risk trope.
I rate Bullet Train Explosion: 3.5 out of 5
Be the first to comment