This intense thriller tracks the unravelling of the intersecting lives that surround a mysterious disappearance, when a troubled woman witnesses too much on her daily train ride.
Since her ex-husband has moved on with his new wife and daughter, Rachel (Emily Blunt) is not coping. She’s spiralling into alcoholism, has lost her job, and her only pursuit is the obsessive spying on her ex and their neighbours through the window of her daily train.
One of the neighbours, Megan, seems to have the perfect life. Rachel is obsessed by her seeming happiness, and focuses all her attention on her. When Rachel witnesses Megan in a compromising situation, her obsession takes over. She exists the train on a whim and in a drunken haze seeks Megan out.
When she wakes up the next day, bloodied and with hours missing from her memory, Rachel finds herself at the centre of an investigation. Unable to pull the pieces together herself, she further deepens her involvement by conducting an investigation of her own. But, the more she discovers about the crime, the more she learns about her own history—and it’s frightening.
Paula Hawkins’ novel, on which the film is based, was an intense twister that had you on the edge of your seat, right up until the very last page. Unfortunately, the onscreen adaptation has not been able to deliver the same sustained intensity.
Emily Blunt is excellent as a woman really struggling, and there are some equally good performances by the supporting cast. But, knowing the answer to a mystery (as anyone who has read the novel would) does take away from some of the allure of the story, and there are characters who have not translated as effectively to the screen. But for those looking to be thrilled, and who enjoy a few twists and turns in a dark-hearted thriller, The Girl on the Train will definitely appease.
Not for the faint hearted, and fittingly compared to Gone Girl (both on screen and on the page) The Girl on the Train is a dark mystery with a twisted story and equally twisted characters.
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Director: Tate Taylor
Stars: Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, Haley Bennet, Rebecca Ferguson
Runtime: 1hour 52mins
Release Date: October 6
Rating: R
Reviewer Rating: 3/5
