Stuntman turned action director David Leitch has quickly risen to one of the most in demand filmmakers on the planet thanks to his trifecta of action films- “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2” and “Hobbs & Shaw”- all within three years. As a result, he has quickly gotten a reputation for kick ass action flicks and his latest, “Bullet Train,” is another great addition to his resume and one that has a lot more beneath the surface than most films in the genre.
Reformed assassin codenamed Ladybug (Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) is sent aboard a bullet train in Tokyo, Japan to steal a briefcase from some shady characters. Simple enough, right? Except the parties after the briefcase include twin hitmen Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, “Tenet”) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry, “Eternals”), not to mention numerous other assassins, all of which are somehow connected and all with varying agendas and allegiances.
So, yeah, there’s a LOT going on in this film, with more Chekov’s Guns than you can count, plentiful plot twists and payoffs for almost every single second of screen time. The insane amount of complexity packed into the action makes this a literally fast moving thriller where things get crazier and crazier as the train barrels on.
Somehow, Leitch and company keep everything nested tighter than a Russian nesting doll and filmed so stylistically by Leitch’s secret weapon cinematographer Jonathan Sela that most will be on the edge of their seat. Without question, it’s a lot to keep track of at times and requires the strongest of attention spans, but rewards those that can keep up. Think more “Lucky Number Slevin,” less “Speed.”
Even beyond the absurdly tightly wound plot is some sublime subversions of viewers’ expectations. The film will stop the action to flashback to every single moment of a certain character’s backstory leading up to their boarding the titular train, only to kill them off immediately once the action gets rolling. Tricks like this invite comparisons to the Tarantino-inspired thriller “Bad Times At the El Royale,” only with a splash of the neon lit fight sequences from “Atomic Blonde” and the “John Wick” films thrown in.
Not only that, but the all star cast elevates the madness. Pitt, Johnson and Henry take center stage and all of them not only play well individually, but once they share the screen, the film leaps to life. The standout is Joey King, playing a seemingly innocent passenger with secrets within secrets, who is a lively, unique presence and is clearly loving playing this meaty part. There are also tons of more big time stars peppered throughout the train, which should not be spoiled.
“Bullet Train” is loud, bombastic and about as unsubtle as a bull in a china shop. That’s why it works. The deceptively complex design, seat rest gripping action and huge Hollywood stars all coalesce into one of the most memorable action flicks of the year and proves that Leitch is far from a one trick pony.
“Bullet Train” is now playing in theaters.