Bullet Train Explosion is a Japanese action-disaster thriller directed by acclaimed filmmaker Shinji Higuchi, known for hits like Attack on Titan, Shin Godzilla, and Shin Ultraman. Interestingly, this movie serves as a sequel to Bullet Train (1975), coming nearly fifty years after the original. The film stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Kanata Hosoda, Rena Nonen, Takumi Saitoh, Machiko Ono, Jun Kaname, and Hana Toyoshima. Disaster movies set on trains are incredibly rare — so does Bullet Train Explosion bring something fresh to the table?
The story follows the Hayabusa 60 (5060B) high-speed train, which, like any other day, is carrying hundreds of passengers from Aomori to Tokyo, covering a distance of around 700 km in about three hours. Chief conductor Kazuya Takaichi (Kusanagi) is responsible for the journey. Soon after departure, the central control room (JR East) receives a chilling call from a terrorist threatening to blow up the train. To show he’s serious, he detonates a freight train at a station in Aomori. The terrorist demands a 100 billion yen ransom — and here’s the catch: if the train’s speed drops below 100 km/h, the bomb will go off. In other words, the train must keep moving, no stops allowed.
The premise mirrors the 1975 original almost exactly — except back then, the speed limit was 80 km/h. Before watching this, I had no idea the original even existed. It’s easy to see how Speed (1994), the Keanu Reeves blockbuster, might have drawn inspiration from Bullet Train.
As a sequel, Bullet Train Explosion tries to tie itself to the original, although the connections feel a little forced. The villain’s motives seem contrived, and there are some major plot holes once you realize who’s behind it all. How did such a massive bomb setup slip past station security? How could the terrorist so easily plant explosives across multiple cars without being caught? These are the film’s biggest narrative gaps. That said, the non-stop tension and thrilling visuals almost make you forget the logical flaws.
One of the biggest surprises is the realism of the production. How did they shoot this so authentically on an actual train? It turns out the filmmakers received full cooperation from JR East (Japan’s main railway company), allowing them to film inside real train cars and related facilities. The results are stunning — the whole movie feels incredibly genuine. The crew made the most of the opportunity, executing even the trickiest action scenes beautifully, despite the inevitable use of visual effects. One particularly jaw-dropping moment involves detaching the rear cars and linking up with another train — you have to see it to believe it. It’s a shame a movie like this isn’t getting a proper big-screen release.
Bullet Train Explosion is a rare gem of a Japanese disaster-action movie, with an authentic production value that’s second to none. Dynamic cinematography, tight editing, and immersive sound design come together to create a truly thrilling experience. Japanese filmmakers have long mastered large-scale productions, especially visible in their kaiju films like Godzilla Minus One. And with Shinji Higuchi at the helm, the quality is exactly what you’d expect. Today, Japan, along with South Korea (Train to Busan, Ashfall) and China (The Wandering Earth, The Captain), are producing massive action spectacles that easily rival Hollywood. Thirty years ago, who would have guessed that Asian cinema would be competing so fiercely with the West?
