Review | Netflix movie review: Bullet Train Explosion – breathless remake by Shin Godzilla director

Shinji Higuchi’s new Netflix movie Bullet Train Explosion is a white-knuckle ride across Japan starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Non

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Tsuyoshi Kusanagi in a still from Netflix’s Bullet Train Explosion, directed by Shinji Higuchi and co-starring Rena Nonen, aka Non. Photo: Netflix

Published: 11:00pm, 13 Apr 2025Updated: 10:27am, 14 Apr 2025

4/5 stars

After breathing new life into some of Japanese cinema’s most beloved monsters in Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman, animator-turned-director Shinji Higuchi now turns his attention to the classic 1970s disaster thriller The Bullet Train.

Part reboot, part sequel, Bullet Train Explosion revisits the nail-biting scenario of a high-speed train that will explode if its speed drops below 100 miles per hour (161km/h).

The 1975 film pitted superstars Ken Takakura and Sonny Chiba against one another in a breathless race against time that inspired the Keanu Reeves blockbuster Speed.

Combining state-of-the-art visual effects with unprecedented access to real Shinkansen trains and facilities from the East Japan Railway (JR East) Company, Higuchi delivers an epic action thrill-ride every bit as exhilarating as its predecessor.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi reunites with the director for the first time since Sinking of Japan (2006) to headline an ensemble cast. He plays Takaichi, senior conductor of the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa No. 60 on its perilous journey across Honshu island towards Tokyo.