Peninsula (film)

2020 film directed by Yeon Sang-ho

For other uses, see Peninsula (disambiguation).

Peninsula

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Yeon Sang-ho
Written by|

* Yeon Sang-ho
* Ryu Yong-jae

Produced by| Lee Dong-ha
Starring|

* Gang Dong-won
* Lee Jung-hyun
* Kwon Hae-hyo

Cinematography| Lee Hyung-deok
Edited by| Yang Jin-mo
Music by| Mowg

Production
companies

* RedPeter Films
* Contents Panda

Distributed by| Next Entertainment World

Release date

* July 15, 2020 (2020-07-15)

Running time

| 116 minutes
Country| South Korea
Languages|

* Korean
* English
* Cantonese
* Polish

Budget| $16 million[1]
Box office| $42.7 million[2][3]

Peninsula (Korean: 반도; Hanja: 半島; RR: Bando; marketed internationally as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula) is a 2020 South Korean post-apocalyptic action horror film co-written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho.[4][5] It is a standalone sequel to the 2016 film Train to Busan, the second live-action feature film and the third overall installment in the Train to Busan film series. The plot follows a former soldier who is sent along with a team to retrieve a truck full of money from the wastelands of South Korea, now inhabited by zombies, rogue militia, and a family. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Gang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun.

Peninsula was chosen to premiere in the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and simply released theatrically in South Korea on 15 July 2020, while also being shown at the 25th Busan International Film Festival on 21 October 2020. It grossed $42.7 million worldwide on a $16 million budget but received generally mixed reviews from critics, who found it inferior to the first film.

## Plot

[edit]

A zombie outbreak overwhelms South Korea,[a] prompting international evacuations before the peninsula is quarantined in Busan. ROKMC officer Jung-seok drives his sister, her husband Chul-min, and their young son Dong-hwan to an evacuation ship. They encounter a distressed couple with a young daughter begging for a ride, but Jung-seok refuses to help them after noticing the husband is bleeding. Onboard the ship, an infected passenger turns into a zombie and bites several others, including Dong-hwan. Jung-seok's sister stays behind with her son and is bitten; Jung-seok seals off the cabin to contain the outbreak, preventing Chul-min from entering as armed soldiers intervene.

Four years later in Hong Kong, Jung-seok, Chul-min, and two other Korean refugees are recruited by Chinese mobsters to return to South Korea and retrieve a truck containing US$20 million. In exchange, they are promised half the money. The team arrives at night, locates the truck, and kills the zombie driver. The noise attracts nearby zombies, but the team manages to escape with the vehicle.

While heading toward Incheon Port, the team is ambushed by a rogue militia squad led by Sergeant Hwang. Their vehicles crash; one team member dies in the accident and the other is killed by Hwang. Chul-min hides in the truck while Jung-seok flees on foot. He is rescued by two sisters: skilled driver Joon and the younger Yu-jin. They bring him to their hideout, where they live with their mother Min-jung and grandfather Elder Kim. Jung-seok realizes that Min-jung and Yu-jin are the mother and young daughter he had refused to help four years ago.

The militia transports the truck to their base, unaware of the money inside. They are part of the rogue faction Unit 631, which imprisons Chul-min and forces him to participate in cruel survival games that pit captives against zombies. Private Kim discovers the money and informs Captain Seo, who secretly contacts the mobsters and plans to escape the peninsula alone with the truck. Meanwhile, Jung-seok tells Min-jung and her family that an extraction ship awaits his team and the truck at Incheon Port. Min-jung devises a plan to steal the truck and escape the peninsula with her family and Jung-seok.

The following night, Jung-seok and Min-jung infiltrate the militia base. Holding Private Kim at gunpoint, Jung-seok learns that Chul-min is still alive, and halts the ongoing survival game to rescue him. Chul-min narrowly saves Jung-seok from a zombie bite but is shot dead by Hwang. Min-jung fends off Seo and escapes in the truck with Jung-seok, but their route is blocked by a horde of zombies. Joon, Yu-jin, and Elder Kim arrive and distract the zombies on a chase to their car.

The two vehicles escape with Hwang and Unit 631 in pursuit. They manage to destroy the pursuing vehicles, and Hwang is killed by zombies. Seo, having killed Private Kim, ambushes the family at Incheon Port and takes Joon hostage. Yu-jin distracts Seo, allowing Joon to escape, but Elder Kim is fatally shot and Min-jung is wounded in the ensuing confrontation. Seo escapes with the truck and boards the extraction ship, but the mobsters betray and shoot him. As he dies, Seo reverses the truck to deliberately jam the cargo ramp, allowing zombies outside to overrun the ship and kill everyone onboard.

Jung-seok and the family manage to signal a passing U.N. Chinook. Min-jung, injured, stays to hold back a horde of zombies so Jung-seok and her daughters can reach the helicopter before preparing to shoot herself. Remembering Chul-min's words about his failure to protect his family, Jung-seok returns to save her and shoots the zombies down. Min-jung escapes, and the family safely board the helicopter and evacuate the peninsula.

## Cast

[edit]

* Gang Dong-won as Jung-seok: A former South Korean Marine Corps Captain, who suffers from guilt as a result of his nephew and sister's deaths.[6]
* Lee Jung-hyun as Min-jung: A mysterious lady who had run into Jung-seok four years back while attempting to get out of Korea.
* Kwon Hae-hyo as Elder Kim: The father of Min-jung, and grandfather of Joon and Yu-jin.
* Kim Min-jae as Sergeant Hwang: The sadistic former sergeant of Unit 631 and co-manager of an underground fight club
* Koo Kyo-hwan as Captain Seo: The captain of Unit 631 and the cynical head of an underground fight club, who went insane years after the virus ravaged Korea.
* Kim Do-yoon [ko] as Chul-min: The brother-in-law of Jung-seok and a member of Jung-seok's team.
* Lee Re as Joon: The eldest daughter of Min-jung, who drives an armored car to help survivors.
* Lee Ye-won (actor) [ko] as Yu-jin: Youngest daughter of Min-jung, who uses loud toy vehicles to draw out zombies and kill them.
* Jang So-yeon as Jung-seok's elder sister: The older sister of Jung-seok, who, refusing to leave her infected son behind, succumbed to the virus four years back.
* Moon Woo-jin as Dong-hwan: Nephew of Jung-seok, who was infected four years back.
* Kim Kyu-baek as Private Kim: The private of Unit 631 and the vice leader of the underground fight club, and Seo's right-hand man.
* Bella Rahim [ms] as Major Jane: a Malaysian UN soldier

## Release

[edit]

Peninsula was selected to be shown at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Official Selection.[7][8] However, the festival was eventually cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[9] It was theatrically released in South Korea on 15 July 2020, and was also shown in the Panorama section of the 25th Busan International Film Festival on 21 October 2020.[10]

The film was initially set to release in theaters in the United States on 21 August 2020, but moved to streaming via Shudder and released on 1 April 2021 as "a Shudder exclusive".[11][12][13] It was released in India on 27 November 2020.[14]

### Home media

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, it was 2020's fourth best-selling foreign language film on physical home video formats (below Parasite, Weathering with You, and Mulan: Legendary Warrior).[15]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

Peninsula grossed $1.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $41.5 million in other territories (including $28.7 million from South Korea), for a worldwide total of $42.7 million.[2]

In South Korea, the film made $2.4 million from 2,338 screens on its opening day, the best total of 2020, and $4 million through its first two days of release. It also opened in Taiwan and Singapore, making a combined $905,000 on its first day.[16] The film went on to debut to $13.2 million over its first five days in South Korea, and a total $20.8 million (including $750,000 from 45 IMAX screens) worldwide. It was the first time since mid-March that the global box office totaled over $1 million.[17] After ten days of release, the film had totaled $19.3 million in South Korea. In its second weekend the film also made another $265,000 from 51 IMAX screens in six countries, becoming the highest grossing local-language title ever for IMAX in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam with $1 million.[18] By August 7, the film had grossed nearly $27 million in South Korea.[19] The film made around $100,000 from 47 theaters from its Canadian debut,[20] and $213,415 from 151 theaters the following weekend from its United States opening.[21]

### Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 55% with an average rating of 5.9/10, based on 131 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "Although a disappointing sense of familiarity threatens to derail Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula, fans of the original may find it a thrilling enough ride."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[23]

Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects said the "film forgoes much of what makes Train to Busan so intensely affecting in favor of a somewhat more generic setting" but said "it's a fantastic idea blending a zombie movie with a heist film, and Yeon has fun with the concept."[5]

Rotten Tomatoes lists the film on its 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.[24]

## Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2021  | 26th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Director  | Yeon Sang-ho | Nominated  | [25][26]
Best Supporting Actor  | Koo Kyo-hwan | Nominated
Best Supporting Actress  | Lee Re | Nominated
Best New Actor  | Kim Do-yoon  | Nominated
Best Technical Award  | Lee Mok-won, Yoo Chung, Park Joon-young (Production design)  | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Franklin, Garth (2 April 2020). "Teaser: "Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula"". Dark Horizons. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
2. ^ a b "Peninsula (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
3. ^ "Peninsula (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
4. ^ Noh, Jean (23 March 2020). "First Look: 'Peninsula', Yeon Sang-ho's follow-up to 'Train To Busan' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
5. ^ a b Hunter, Rob (27 August 2020). "'Peninsula' Delivers a Heist Film in the 'Train to Busan' Universe". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
6. ^ "[Herald Interview] Gang Dong-won falls for zombie genre while filming 'Peninsula'". The Korea Herald. 15 July 2020.
7. ^ "Cannes Film Festival Reveals 2020 Lineup: Wes Anderson, Steve McQueen, Kate Winslet & Pixar". Deadline. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
8. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2020". Cannes. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
9. ^ "Cannes selects lineup for 2020 edition after 'physical' festival shelved". The Guardian. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
10. ^ "Korean films - Peninsula". BIFF. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
11. ^ Holmes, Patrick (8 July 2020). "'Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula' Gets August Theatrical Release Date; Cannes 2020 Pic Also Scores Shudder Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
12. ^ "'Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula' United States Opening Date Delayed". The Geekiary. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
13. ^ Wilton, Mike (25 March 2022). "[WATCH] Shudder Unleashes Official Trailer for Third Installment in the 'Train to Busan' Franchise". All Hallow's Geek. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
14. ^ "Korean zombie thriller 'Peninsula' to hit Indian screens on Nov 27". The Week.
15. ^ 2021 - Film on Physical Video. United Kingdom: British Film Institute (BFI). 2021. p. 10. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
16. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (15 July 2020). "'Peninsula' Sets 2020 Opening Day High In Korea; Fleshes Out $4M+ Overseas Through Thursday – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
17. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (19 July 2020). "'Peninsula' Thrills To $21M In Overseas Bow; 'Train To Busan' Sequel Helps Imax Score First $1M Global Weekend Since March – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
18. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 July 2020). "'Dolittle' Tops $5M In China Bow As Market Sees Daily Increases; IMAX WW Takings Jump 30%, Boosted By Middle Kingdom & Korean 'Peninsula' – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
19. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (7 August 2020). "'1917' Leads Charge On China's 3rd Friday Back To The Movies – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
20. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (9 August 2020). "Shia LaBeouf Action Film 'The Tax Collector' Cashes In $317K At Weekend Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
21. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (22 August 2020). "'Unhinged' Sees Increased Business On Saturday For $4M Opening As Exhibition Turns Lights Back On". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
22. ^ "Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
23. ^ "Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
24. ^ "100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
25. ^ Kim Ji-eun (5 July 2021). 춘사국제영화제, 본상 후보작 발표…자산어보·승리호 등 23편 [Chunsa International Film Festival Announces Main Award Nominations... 23 films including The Book of Fish and Space Sweepers]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
26. ^ Noh Gyu-min (19 November 2021). [종합] 송중기·전도연, 남녀주연상…넷플릭스 '승리호' 최우수 감독상까지 2관왕 ('제26회 춘사영화제') [[Comprehensive] Song Joong-ki and Jeon Do-yeon, Best Supporting Actor... Netflix's 'Seungriho' won two awards for Best Director ('26th Chunsa Film Festival')]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

## Note

[edit]

1. ^ As depicted in Train to Busan

## External links

[edit]

* United States and Canada official website at Well Go USA Entertainment
* Peninsula at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Train to Busan

Films|

* Train to Busan (2016)
* Seoul Station (2016)
* Peninsula (2020)

* v
* t
* e

Works by Yeon Sang-ho

As director|

* The King of Pigs (2011)
* The Fake (2013)
* Train to Busan (2016)
* Seoul Station (2016)
* Psychokinesis (2018)
* Peninsula (2020)
* Hellbound (2021)
* Jung_E (2023)
* Parasyte: The Grey (2024)
* The Ugly (2025)

As screenwriter|

* The Cursed (2020)
* The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey (2021)
* The Bequeathed (2024)
* Parasyte: The Grey (2024)
* The Ugly (2025)

Portals:

* South Korea
* Film
* Speculative fiction
* Horror
* Viruses

*[Ref.]: References
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