LindsayReview! The Girl on the Train (2016) Directed by Tate Taylor. Starring: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson. IMDB says “A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.”
The Girl on the Train is based on the bestselling book of the same name that you’ve probably already heard of. It seemed to be the next big thing after the rise of Gone Girl – another twisty, female driven mystery tale. I’m all for this resurgence as lurid mysteries make for some of my favorite films but I made sure to stay away from spoilers for each of the two stories. I noted in my Gone Girl review that I recommended going into the film cold and I would throw a similar advisory up for The Girl on the Train. And while the latter film may not be as much fun as the first, it still deserves your attention.
The title character aka Rachel is lonely and withdrawn for unknown reasons at first introduction but is quickly revealed to be battling severe depression after a recent divorce. Rachel’s dangerous drinking problem and daily train commute are the only things she does to try and cope. Unfortunately, these methods only provide her with unhealthy obsessions and frequent blackouts. One day she is provoked by something she sees through the train car window, an indiscretion related to a couple she frequently watches, and decides to involve herself. Since I’m trying to give away as little information as possible, I’ll just say that Rachel blacks out and is unsure what happened that night.
The core mystery here is what happened that night Rachel got off the train. As a viewer, it’s difficult to trust our narrator in the story and must constantly sort out truth from delusion. The story unwinds via a series of call backs showcasing the main characters of the stories, working backwards from 4 months ago to 2 months ago and so on. In hindsight, it was a great way to tell the story – it was easy to follow and provided a good amount of screen time for all of the major players. While the pace languishes slightly in some areas, no scene feels unnecessary or boring.
One of the best inclusions in the movie was the attention given to the victim of the crime. It is far too commonplace in crime fiction (and even true crime) for the victim to be secondary to the story – a firestarter and nothing more. But The Girl on the Train explores the entire backstory of the victim giving gravity and purpose to the character on a level we don’t often see in the genre. For me though, the driving force of the film is the strong performance from Emily Blunt. One of my favorite working actresses, Blunt is really powerful in the role that demands so many different sides. Sometimes she is pathetic, other times terrifying. You are never quite sure what to feel about her and it truly keeps you guessing from scene to scene. This is important not only to help with the mystery but also to fully realize her character.
The Girl on the Train is an engaging and well told mystery that should please audiences looking for a twisty tale. I heard a few ladies chatting after the screening that they had already knew the outcome and therefore didn’t have a lot to remark on the film. I didn’t read the book but I am curious if it is represented in a better way or if the screen brought into focus some of the fuzzier elements. I found the movie to be more than competent in deconstructing the story so I wouldn’t worry about reading the book beforehand. In fact, in this instance it probably helps not to.
OVERALL SCORE: 78%