[Review] Bullet Train (2022) | Brad Pitt

[Review] Bullet Train (2022) | Brad Pitt | David Leitch | Gun-Fu on a Moving Train

Bullet Train 2022 David Leitch Brad Pitt Film Poster

Bullet Train (2022) is a action black comedy film directed by David Leitch. With screenplay by Zak Olkewicz, Bullet Train adapts Kōtarō Isaka’s novel of the same name. Produced by Kelly McCormick, David Leitch & Antoine Fuqua, with cinematography by Jonathan Sela, editing by Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, and music by Dominic Lewis, Bullet train features an ensemble cast starring Brad Pitt as Ladybug, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, Brian Tyree Henry as Lemon, Andrew Koji as Yuichi Kimura / the Father, Hiroyuki Sanada as the Elder, Michael Shannon as the White Death, Bad Bunny as the Wolf, Sandra Bullock as Maria Beetle, Zazie Beetz as the Hornet, Logan Lerman as the Son, the White Death’s son, Masi Oka as the train conductor & Karen Fukuhara as Kayda Izumi, the concession girl.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Bullet Train (2022) Synopsis:

The end of the line is just the beginning.

Unlucky assassin Ladybug is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train.

Bullet Train (2022) Review:

Stylised action movies are a guilty pleasure for me. And of those, I particularly like John Wick & Nobody, both of which have David Leitch’s touch to them. So naturally, Bullet Train made it to my watchlist. However, the mixed reviews made me skeptical, and I put it off for a lazy weekend where I didn’t want to watch anything heavy and enlightening.

Bullet Train scratched that itch perfectly two Saturdays ago. I’ll admit, I did have some issues with it. I also agree with the mixed reviews, because the film’s flaws are as glaring as its action and style are epic. However, as a fan of these kinds of films, it was quite a delightful watch for me.

Bullet Train features an ensemble cast. You have Ladybug (Brad Pitt), an American assassin stepping in for “Carver” to retrieve a briefcase. He’s just come back to work after embarking on a self-healing journey, and constantly quotes his therapist. Then there’s Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) & Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), “twins” who are really step-brothers tasked with transporting said briefcase to Russian mob boss of the yakuza, The White Death (Michael Shannon); also they have his son (Logan Lerman). Okay, I can go on explaining each assassin’s motivation, and that’ll make the whole review 3x as long. So, I’m going to skip all this and jump straight to the review.

Bad Bunny as The Wolf & Brad Pitt as Ladybug

Epic, Stylised Action With Bullet Train Pacing

Imagine the kinetic action of John Wick. Now add to that a colourful filter akin to Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs The World. And finally, a dash of Quentin Tarantino’s quirky humour and character stylisation. What you get as a result is Bullet Train.

The opening scene is a bit dull and grounded, but there’s no denying that it’s the calm before the storm. There’s tension in the room as a child lays on a hospital bed, the father seeking revenge against those responsible. We cut to Ladybug as he talks to his handler while walking through the LED-lit streets of Tokyo towards the fancy Bullet Train. The moment the eponymous train sets off, so does the film’s real plot.

You’d expect a film like this to feel a bit claustrophobic, but it doesn’t. Even though the whole film plays out inside the train, the colourful palettes and the hyperstylised Japanese aesthetic makes the film feel as vibrant as any pre-Phase 5 MCU film. Absurdly violent things happen as the plot progresses, with just the right amount of splashy gore to make this quite an entertaining experience.

Of course, don’t expect a meaningful drama. This is mindless action at its best. Okay, maybe not best, because John Wick & Nobody were both significantly better. But still, Bullet Train was a damn fun movie to watch.

Too Complicated, Fails To Juggle Its Ensemble

Brian Tyree Henry as Lemon & Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, the twins

There are seven named assassins in this movie that drive the plot forward. That’s not counting the other important characters who play a significant role in the story too. But, the film fails to juggle between these characters in a way that justifies the roster.

For example, we get a pretty extended flashback of the Wolf (Bad Bunny), only for him to get killed off almost instantly. The same is true for The Hornet (Zazie Beetz). Which begs the question, why did we get so much build-off only to have them pass so easily? While Tangerine & Lemon have justifiably complex backstories, Ladybug—arguably our protagonist—doesn’t get the same treatment. This imbalance in characters did leave me a little confused. That confusion was only worsened by the unnecessarily convoluted plot.

Often, some films will complicated the plot to seem smart, but fail to come off as so. Bullet Train is guilty of that cinematic sin. For the film that it is, there is no need for the complex plot. The film’s USP is its action, and it thrives brilliantly. A simpler plot and fewer characters with more screen-time would actually have served to enhance its watching experience. I say this because the plot and the character imbalances actually made me start to lose interest. There was too much happening and not all of it was good.

Bullet Train (2022) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Basically, The White Death hired all of the assassins on the train to kill each other because they were all directly or indirectly responsible for his wife’s death. This includes his own Son. He doesn’t know that Ladybug replaced Carver, which was a cool twist but didn’t really have a huge impact.

The henchmen open the rigged briefcase and die. The remaining assassins and henchmen board the train as it hurtles forward. The Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada) kills the White Death in a duel, avenging his former yazkuza boss. The train crashes to a halt, and only Ladybug and the Elder are left alive. The Prince (Joey King) reveals she’s still alive and is about to kill them, but a still-alive Lemon runs her over, avenging Tangerine’s death.

The film is pretty complicated, but is also pretty easy to follow because the makers pretty much spoonfeed you every detail.

Is Bullet Train (2022) worth watching?

Michael Shannon as The White Death

Yes. It is a bit too bloated, but overall the film delivers on its promise of epic action and hilarious comedy.

However, if you’re not a fan of Leitch’s earlier work, this one isn’t the best starting point.

In Conclusion:

Bullet Train (2022) by David Leitch is a hyperstylised action film that’s a little too complicated for its own good, but manages to entertain and impress nonetheless.

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ronitjauthor

December 17, 2025