The next time you step onto a train, be careful, because it may be filled with people who are trained to kill.

When you think about assassins, you might think about the classic cloak and dagger, dressed-in all-black type of character, who has access to all sorts of gadgets to aid them on their missions. Bullet Train, directed by David Leitch, comes speeding onto the scene with a fresh take on assassins in the modern-day era.

Starring Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King, and Bad Bunny, Bullet Train features an all-star cast that is brimming with charisma and personality. The film takes place in Tokyo, Japan, on a bullet train with some very special passengers aboard it: 5 different assassins who are each trying to complete a mission. This light-hearted action comedy first premiered at the Grand Rex in Paris, France in July 2022, then was later released on Netflix in December 2022, bringing its vibrant and funny story to the streaming platform.

Bullet Train may distract you with a few laughs, but it will also keep your eyes glued to the screen with its appealing visuals by showcasing a blend of martial arts, unique characters, and a fresh take on the classic on-screen hitman. Packed with comedic action, kaleidoscopic scenery, and comic book influences, Bullet Train is a highly stylized look at the assassin genre.

Aesthetically Pleasing Visuals

Ladybug and The Prince on the bullet train
Sony Pictures

Neon lights beam across your screen early on in the film, as you are immediately thrown into a busy metropolitan area following the first scene introducing Hiroyuki Sanada as “The Elder” and Andrew Koji as “The Father”. Set in modern-day Japan, Bullet Train places you right into the heart of Tokyo, inserting one of the main characters, Ladybug (played by Brad Pitt) who is having a conversation with his handler on his smartphone as he’s walking down an alley filled with bright lights of all different colors.

Shop signs, bar lights, and umbrellas that glow in the dark fill the viewers' eyes with a multicolored luminescence that gives the film a modern look and feel. You can notice the bustling energy of the Tokyo nightlife glaring from your screen just from these introductory scenes. Bullet Train takes you on a brief tour of how it would feel walking through Tokyo at night as you bask in the pulsating lights surrounding you, visually setting the tone for the rest of the film as the characters board the fated bullet train one by one.

Related: David Leitch:Comparing the Stunts and Style of Bullet Train and Atomic Blonde

Comic Book and Manga Influences

The Father in the hospital room in the beginning of the movie Bullet Train
Sony Pictures

It comes as no surprise that Bullet Train has heavy manga and comic book influences, considering the film is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka. Japanese text infused with a neon glow and its accompanying English translation flashes onto the screen whenever the film introduces one of its deadly characters. The use of the bold Japanese text along with the high-speed pacing and awesome fight sequences, makes you feel as if you’re watching a comic book or manga in live-action form.

With the pacing of the film, you won’t have to wait very long until some of the action begins, just like in the comic book or manga format. Only nine minutes into the movie, guns are drawn, and the thrilling adventure begins as “The Father” (Koji) comes into contact with “The Prince” (Joey King) in a highly suspenseful but comedic encounter. The humor in the film mixed with the action gives audiences a sense of reading a story that would probably come straight out of a manga or comic book. With the film’s choice of Japanese and English typography, high-speed pacing, and comedic action, the viewer can enjoy the elements of a comic book or manga in a cinematic set-up.

Related: How Bullet Train Combines Action and Comedy to Great Success

Unique Character Designs

Ladybug The Elder and The Father standing together after accident
Sony Pictures

The assassins that are aboard the bullet train are very distinct from one another, from their choice of fashion to their personalities. You have Ladybug, an American assassin who dons a white bucket hat, black thick-rimmed glasses, a brown cotton coat covering a green zip-up jacket over a white t-shirt, matching green pants, and white sneakers that imply he is one of the more laid-back assassins of the bunch and his actions throughout the film prove just that. There is the dynamic English duo, Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Taylor-Johnson) who don identical coats and are twin brothers. “The Wolf” (played by Bad Bunny) joins the fray of assassins wearing a white suit, adorned with flowers and blood splatter, the same suit he wore to his ill-fated wedding. There is “The Prince” wearing an all-pink coat covering a pink button-up shirt with a red tie, pink sweater vest, and a red skirt that presents to the audience an innocent schoolgirl look when that is far from her true personality.

The assassins have very definitive character traits that are shown from what they wear to how they behave. Ladybug thinks he has a bad luck curse, Lemon finds inspiration from Thomas the Tank Engine, and The Prince is hiding behind a mask of innocence. Every assassin is carefully designed to portray their personas in ways that are easily identifiable to the audience, which creates a memorable group. If you don’t remember the characters' code names, you’ll definitely remember what they looked like.

Whether you’re into assassin movies, comics and manga, or simply aesthetically pleasing films, Bullet Train may have something in store for you. With a light-hearted story filled with comedy, action, an ensemble cast, and alluring visuals, Bullet Train has a little touch of pretty much everything that an action fan or a comedy fan might enjoy. The film manages to seamlessly blend all of the above elements, resulting in a fun film that gives a fresh, stylish look at assassins.