The Girl on the Train is a mediocre thriller that has a twist that doesn’t really feel earned. However, the performance by Emily Blunt is particularly impressive as Rachel, a severe alcoholic with tendencies to blackout, who is struggling to move forward after her divorce. She aimlessly rides a train past her ex-husband’s (Justin Theroux) house and has created a fantasy of the couples a few doors down. When Megan (Haley Bennett) goes missing, Rachel feels compelled to seek out her husband (Luke Evans) and inform him of her infidelity that she witnessed from the train.
The Girl on the Train is a Decent Watch
Megan’s disappearance becomes the mystery of the film. Director Tate Taylor and writer Erin Cressida Wilson, based on the book by Paula Hawkins, weave three perspectives into the film. Rachel, Megan, and Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) all are share in the storytelling from different points in time. Most of Megan’s perspective is over the past six months that slowly reveals the truth of the mystery. It’s a little bit predictable and the justification for it felt a little forced as the audience is mislead in a way that’s essentially a lie.
The film doesn’t just suffer from story. There are choices made with to have this hazy slow motion effect on several shots throughout the film that doesn’t seem to add much. If it was only used to illustrate the drunkenness of Rachel, it may have worked, but it’s used in other situations that doesn’t seem purposeful. Effect like that can really detract from a film when used for no apparent reason.
Final thoughts…
The Girl on the Train felt like it wanted to have the same impact that Gone Girl had, but feels a little more by the numbers. It’s still managed to entertain and never felt boring or anything like that. Emily Blunts performance, and the rest of the cast as well, did feel solid. There is enough in the film to earn it the Decent Watch rating.
Berkreviews.com 