The movie theater franchise AMC is airing a diverse line-up of scary movies this Halloween season. Through an initiative called Thrills and Chills, they will be screening a collection of movies that run from "cult classics to new releases."

The initiative kicked off on October 1 and moving forward, the screenings will fall on every Wednesday and Friday of the month. Last week, the movie empire showed the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. GameRant came to the conclusion while its moments of critical acclaim shone, it didn't seem to align with the Halloween-vibes set. On Wednesday, was AMC able to redeem themselves?

Related: AMC Thrills And Chills: Was Dawn Of The Dead A Hit Or Miss?​​​

What movie was screened?

Production still from Train to Busan

Day two of AMC's Thrills and Chills line-up was the critically-acclaimed 2016 zombie flick Train to Busan. This South Korean action-horror movie packs in a hearty punch of drama and action, while also leaving in many gruesome kills. It's heavy on the blood but low on the spooks. Rather than relying on jump scares, the movie engages the audience with slow builds and irresistible backstories.

Train to Busan has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with many praising the director, Yeon Sang-ho, for his work in expanding the horror genre — a contrast to Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead's impact. Critic Brent McKnight from The Last Thing I See felt similar. He wrote in his 2016 review, "Train to Busan doesn't blaze any new trails, but it transcends the tricks and tropes of a genre that so often feels it has nothing more to offer."

"Train to Busan is horror as it should be: intelligent, fun, and celebrating life with every mad twist and new take on death that it can find," wrote Alexandra Heller-Nicholas from The Blue Lenses.

In addition to its raving reviews, the movie also has a stand-out cast that has gone on to achieve feats. Fans are currently thirsting over the movie's lead actor, Gong Yoo, due to his prominent role in Netflix's Squid Game. Actor Ma Dong-seok, who played the loveable selfless fighter Yoon Sang-hwa, will soon be featured in Marvel's upcoming Eternals movie.

But, does this positive reception and steller cast mean that Train to Busan was an A+ movie for Thrills and Chills?

Why didn't it work?

Train to Busan father-daughter duo

Overall, the viewing experience for Train to Busan was enjoyable. It is a movie that can be digested more than once. It's filled with quick shots and strategic moves that guarantee a unique experience, with every rewatch, However, it seemed rather odd that AMC would choose to air two zombie movies in a row. Given the disappointment of the first Dawn of the Dead showing, anticipation was built for the following picture. With a weak link out of the way, the movies should be getting better and better every showing.

It's not to say that both movies can be appreciated in their own ways, but with AMC promising to screen the "very best" it's time for the company to amp things up a bit. Unfortunately, zombie and apocalypse movies will always fail to emulate the spooky season, especially because they are often rooted in unavoidable scenarios that rely on realism to convey the danger.

With the negative out of the way, one great thing that both movies delivered was their unique look at zombie life. Dawn of the Dead famously showcased these fast, thoughtless zombies that had calculated moves. These zombies managed to infiltrate themselves into dubbed safe heavens in the communities and once exposed, there was no way to stop them other than to kill them.

Train to Busan's zombies are different. These zombies are brainless. They can be slowed down and blinded by darkness, allowing for seamless passing. They can be stopped by a simple shutting of a door, due to their lack of knowledge on how to open a door. Although, both are equally contagious.

Disappointingly enough, both had very similar structures as well. They featured tropes of found family and business-centric selfishness. They let characters reveal their personal vulnerabilities, in contexts that were outside of the zombie madness. They both fixated on a less-than-perfect father figure who made the self-sacrifice choice in the end.

While it is of great difficulty to disapprove of Train to Busan, it should be noted that these major similarities and lack of traditional horror are putting a serious bummer on these AMC screenings. While last week there was an underlying feeling of disappointment, this week there was a heavy feeling of sadness. The movie ends on a sob-fest level, rather than one that evokes spooks.

The main question to ask is: Who curated this line-up? And for what audience? To premiere with a zombie flick felt like a cop-out, but then to follow it up with another, just felt cheap. However, that could be reflective of the $5 ticket price that comes with the Thrills and Chills line-up. Fingers crossed for better luck next time.

Next: Must-See Scary Movies To Get Into The Halloween Spirit