Working Titles takes a closer look at specific films with a denim and workwear aesthetic with the goal of examining the material’s shifting cultural image.

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You can almost guess by the name ‘Bullet Train‘ that the 2022 film is a fun, action-packed trip on a Shinkansen, otherwise known as a Japanese ullet train. Based on a book (Maria Beetle) by Kôtarô Isaka and directed by ex-stuntman and stunt coordinator David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2), Bullet Train is an adventurous ride inside a train hurling across Japan.

The story is about assassins aboard the Shinkansen, each of whose missions and searches for justice intertwine in unexpected ways. It kind of feels like a Quentin Tarantino movie, but not as surreal and masturbatory, and with a bit more choreography (OK, maybe not as much as Kill Bill Vol.1&2). Bullet Train is not terribly heavy-handed with the action, there are hardly any bullets flying around this bullet train, compared to say, John Wick. The pacing works, but we found it to not move terribly fast, despite what the film’s name might lead you to believe. We’re given enough room for our very stylish characters to develop.