Last Train Home follows the Zhang family as they spend every dollar of their savings to find a way home to their children.  

The film sheds light on the migrant workers in China who must save up all year for overpriced train tickets to make it home for New Year’s to spend time with friends or family. This heartwarming documentary provides amazing insight on a story most people do not realize even exists. Filmmaker Lixin Fan has created a beautiful film that has won recognition worldwide, including a spot at Sundance Film Festival.

While the film adopts a slow pace overall, it is fitting for the film’s subject matter. After all, they are waiting to see their children after years of working in another city in China.

“A low wage and lack of rights prevents them from bringing their families from the villages to the cities, even after decades of work,” says Fan.

Fan visited over 30 factories in China before meeting the Zhang couple. Luckily for Fan, the family agreed to participate in the film.

Last Train Home delves far into a family’s deep underlying trauma. Many extremely intimate moments are caught on camera.

This is a documentary, so you can’t necessarily judge the “acting,” but the Zhang family is certainly engaging. Their personalities, though conflicted with one another, are fascinating.

Grade: B+



Last Train Home releases in select theaters Sept. 17.