Almost the entire movie takes place on a train, which can be looked at in two different ways. On the one hand you can kick back and relax to the slowly passing scenery and the repetitive rumbling of the wheels rolling along the tracks. But at the same time, you're trapped. There's nowhere to go except from cramped sleeping quarters, to cramped eating quarters, to even more cramped restrooms. Add to that the fact that more likely than not the train that you're squished on is pressing through the middle of nowhere. Sounds like a formula for being trapped and isolated, which is the perfect setting for a thriller.
I can't really talk in depth about the movie because there are too many secrets I could accidently give away. But the movie as a whole did open my eyes to something. It helped me realize how incredibly corrupt and brutal Russia's law enforcement system is. Not just the law enforcement system, but the country itself. The movie deals a lot with Russia's drug smuggling problems and how some drug dealers have more power than the police. I'm not saying that all of Russia is "evil" or entirely bad or anything, I'm just surprised at how bad it has gotten there. There are some pretty horrifying scenes in the movie that you wouldn't expect to happen in America. It also makes me appreciate living in America. And I know, I'm not exactly the "proudest" American out there, but after watching this movie, I appreciate it a lot more.
