Review of The Girl on the Train (2016) by Spencer K — 20 Oct 2016

"Why are you here?" "Because I'm afraid of myself.".

Maybe it's because I enjoyed the book so much, but I really dug the film adaptation of The Girl On The Train. Emily Blunt gives a brilliant performance as the alcoholic, unstable Rachel who isn't quite sure what she remembers about the night that Megan Hipwell went missing. With this plot point, we have our film. I've heard all the bad reception this film has getting, but I actually really liked it. The cast is all great with newcomer Haley Bennet sticking out as the missing woman Megan Hipwell. But, Emily Blunt steals the damn things and gives one of her best performances here. There's a certain a certain scene in the film involving a mirror when she's in the bathroom that perfectly shows her incredible talent as an actress. She may not have looked the part, but she was absolutely incredible. I guess knowing the plot of the film by reading the novel and knowing it has a bit of a sluggish pace, helped me enjoy the film more and helped the unraveling of this mystery all the more intriguing. Some of the dialogue is a little big corny, but it followed the events of the novel very closely, which was a plus. The director, Tate Taylor, did a fine job, but I feel like there could've been possibly a better choice to suit the genre that the film is in. I mean he directed The Help, so it was a little bit of a tonal shift. I mean, he did a decent job, but I feel like there was someone that was maybe a little more qualified for the genre. While it's definitely not the next Gone Girl, but fans of the novel should be very satisfied, and it should satisfy regular audience members looking for a taut psychological thriller, just be aware its pace may frustrate some.