Review of The Girl on the Train (2016) by Brett H — 31 Oct 2016

The Girl On the Train is a Gone Girl-esque thriller about an alcoholic woman who rides a train day and night, fantasizing about the lives she witnesses through the glass, and becomes overly involved in a seemingly "perfect' couple's relationship.

On one fateful day she accidentally sees something she wasn't supposed to, which opens Pandora's Box and a massive mystery unfolds with every character appearing guilty, including the protagonist who can't remember her actions on that very night.

This film has taken a kicking from critics for all sorts of unwarranted reasons, and I simply am on the opposite spectrum because I found it tense, extremely well-acted, and while yes, a bit predictable, very well-executed.

Emily Blunt stars as the damaged protagonist, Rachel, who has been beaten-down by life due to her alcoholism, leaving her divorced and very alone, and this is easily Blunt's most impressive work to date with a very stripped-down and believable portrayal of a confused and frazzled woman desperate for answers.

The film also stars Justin Theroux, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Rebecca Ferguson, Edgar Ramirez, and Allison Janney who all help add to the film's caliber and also convince in throwing off the scent when it becomes a who-done-it?! Tate Taylor directs, in a big step up from his normal fare with films like The Help and Get On Up, and I think he does a commendable job adapting this story from the novel by Paula Hawkins, but doesn't do anything exceptional behind the camera.

One aspect I really enjoyed about this story is that pretty well all of the female characters are broken, unhappy, and permiscuous, while the men are mostly faithful and it was a nice change I don't normally see.

As expected, this story is filled with twists and reveals, some obvious, one I truly did not see coming and it was brilliant, which is where the comparisons to Gone Girl begin, and this is definitely not as mind-blowing or memorable as that film, but it has its place.

I really enjoyed The Girl On the Train for what it had to offer and I think above all the criticisms, Emily Blunt gives an oscar-worthy performance here and there's just enough twists to keep the viewer satisfied, even if you saw them coming!