Bullet Train Explosion: The Bullet Train Sequel Seems Familiar But Has Personality

Japanese train culture is renowned around the world for its efficiency, precision, and neatness. The Shinkansen (or “bullet train”) was invented by the Japanese, the very first line — taking people from Tokyo to Osaka (and vice-versa) — setting off in 1964. Sixty years later and still working like clockwork, Japan’s high-speed rail network stretches from Hokkaido (in the north) to Kyushu (in the south) and transports over 300 million passengers yearly. It’s the passion for this history that drives director Higuchi Shinji’s Bullet Train Explosion, which came out on Netflix on April 23rd.

Netflix’s Bullet Train Explosion is a sequel to The Bullet Train (1975), the epoch-making action thriller feature by Kato Ari, Ono Ryunosuke, and Sato Junya. Between 1975 and 2025, the history of cinema saw the release of hundreds of similar disaster films: Runaway Train (1985, dir. Andrei Konchalovsky, which was actually based on a story by Akira Kurosawa), Speed (1994, dir. Jan de Bont), Unstoppable (2010, dir. Tony Scott), just to mention a few. So, while this is a tried-and-tested formula, Higuchi succeeds in devising a story that serves as both a continuation and an homage to the original film, delivering a familiar yet charismatic movie with its own personality.

This review is spoiler-free! But if you don’t have time for it all, why don’t you pin our summary at the bottom?

Bullet Train Explosion & The Bullet Train: What’s the Connection and What Are the Differences?

Bullet Train Explosion stars from the same premise as The Bullet Train: shortly after the Hayabusa 60, a Shinkansen bound to Tokyo, departs from Shin-Aomori station, an anonymous call informs JR East (the train company) that a bomb has been planted onboard. The bomber demands ¥100 billion (almost $700 million), which should be collected from all citizens of Japan, and warns that if the train slows down below 100km/h, the bomb will automatically explode. And so, train conductor Takaichi Kazuya (a flawlessly stoic performance by Kusanagi Tsuyoshi), train driver Matsumoto Chika (Non), stalwart assistant conductor Fujii Keiji (Hosoda Kanata), and general manager Yuichi Kasagi (an incredible Saitoh Takumi) find themselves in a battle against time and speed to save their passengers.

Unlike the original film, Bullet Train Explosion focuses on the universe inside the train: its passengers and workers come before the threat itself. That moves the film away from the thriller genre and brings it closer to a human drama that just happens to involve a potential massive disaster.

The narrative offers a handful of exciting action scenes, feeding its audience with what is expected from this kind of movie, but it avoids the pitfalls of the Hollywood popcorn thrillers we’re used to seeing. Bullet Train Explosion replaces the lone (super)hero saving the day with a group of intelligent, earnest characters who logically tackle challenge after challenge. It gets rid of the half-baked (and often unnecessary) romantic storyline to offer a dramatic heart that relies on the pride of doing your job well and working with others to find solutions. It removes stupid decisions by individuals to explore, albeit superficially, a wider social commentary.

Social Commentary in Bullet Train Explosion

Social commentary is nothing new to Higuchi, whose filmography includes some very opinionated pieces (most famously, he co-directed Shin Godzilla, known for its voracious criticism of the government bureaucracy and hierarchy). Bullet Train Explosion also counts on a clear layer of social and political analysis, but this time, Higuchi chose to target both the government and the public. In Bullet Train Explosion, the government is so worried about its processes and protocols that it fumbles to save its citizens — the same citizens they are supposed to protect. While one of the characters in the film defends that “the job of a politician is to stand for what’s right and make the world a better place,” the Hayabusa 60 would’ve exploded a million times had they relied on the politicians around them.

The difference between appearances or ideals and reality is where the rest of the analysis lies. While I don’t want to spoil anyone, I have to mention that the motivation of our antagonist comes from an apparent disconnect between what we seem to be and what we actually are. And the narrative, long before clearly stating this motivation, illustrates it time and time again. We soon witness the “polite and proper” passengers fight over a food cart as soon as they’re informed of the bomb. They risk a rescue operation over luggage they deem “valuable”, and, despite their own sins, believe they have the right to choose who deserves to be protected or to live from the very beginning.

The question of whether virtues such as generosity and empathy are a mere façade rings throughout Bullet Train Explosion by allowing the passengers to contrast with the JR East employees. Unlike the beliefs of the antagonist, Takaichi, Matsumoto and Kasagi (and the rest of JR East staff) care about the lives of all their passengers equally. Bullet Train Explosion isn’t a thriller about chasing a criminal. It’s a film about everyday people fighting tooth and nail to come up with solutions to the most improbable and tricky of problems.

Turning Everyday People Into Heroes

Beyond the scope of the human drama the film chose to embrace, Bullet Train Explosion wants to exalt its train workers. It wants to show appreciation to these individuals who choose to show up at work day in, day out and do their best. It wants to highlight how important they are, as they are the ones making this complex, gigantic, and robust machine that is the rail network tick with precision every day.

And that’s not just me saying it. TIME published a fantastic article entitled “The Story Behind Japanese Action Thriller Bullet Train Explosion,” in which author Kayti Burt shares an interview with director Higuchi Shinji:

Shinji notes that the celebration of efficiency and teamwork is something that exists in the 1975 film. “It is [a theme] that we also aspire after [in Bullet Train Explosion]: people who are diligent, people who follow the rules, and people in uniform,” says Shinji. “Maybe it’s a very Japanese thing. Maybe the youngsters now are a bit different, but for boys of our generation, there was something wonderful about looking towards the same goal and growing up.”

So, Bullet Train Explosion is a celebration of their collective effort.

Working together towards a common goal is a theme introduced in the very first scene of Bullet Train Explosion, in which Takaichi declares to a group of clueless high-schoolers that he became a conductor because, “though each of us has our own private reasons for boarding, we’re all heading the same direction. And yet, we’re strangers again on arrival. Isn’t there something romantic about seeing all those people off?“

I’d say it’s indeed something very Japanese to celebrate the strength of the collective and its institutions. And I’m glad — because Bullet Train Explosion is a product of its culture and I’d choose it over a westernised Japanese action film any day.

Making It All Work: The Strengths & Weaknesses

Bullet Train Explosion is fun and easy to watch, despite its predictability. Most markedly, the extreme competence of our JR East staff does remove some of the dramatic risk, making the threat to the characters’ lives never feel heavy enough. Its social commentary may not be new, and its antagonist may seem a bit outlandish, but Higuchi skilfully gives the story the right tone, pace, and visuals through its ups and downs, making all the pieces work cohesively together.

With its cast counting on YouTubers and influencers and events that depend on the light-speed of the internet, you can clearly feel how much the world has changed since 1975. Fans of The Bullet Train will surely appreciate the references, but if you haven’t watched the original film, you won’t need any help to follow the story. The narrative is quite straightforward and unravels through the action and dramatic beats that we expect. The production design is excellent as the film counted on full cooperation from the East Japan Railway Company, which “wanted to show real bullet trains to people around the world” (from TIME). Meanwhile, the visual effects are convincing enough, but aren’t as seamless as we would hope.

Should You Watch Bullet Train Explosion?

Bullet Train Explosion might be more dramatic than intense, but it still makes for an enjoyable, thrilling ride. Is it perfect? No. Is it sophisticated? Also no. It’s just honestly fun — and sometimes that’s enough. There’s something quite charming in conductor Takaichi’s work ethic, manager Yuichi’s determination, and the JR East staff’s cleverness, which guides us through to the end of their journey. Bullet Train Explosion is an effortless, entertaining watch if you don’t need complex storylines or are tired of the Hollywood action formula.

You can watch Bullet Train Explosion on: