Last year, the thriller Gone Girl was the film that started off award season with its gruesome scenes and a plot twist that is still talked about today. This year, the movie that matches up to the thriller is The Girl on the Train. I found many similarities between the two movies as I saw the trailer for The Girl on the Train, and so I had reservations before seeing the new film. I was afraid it would be the same sort of thriller and therefore not be shocking. However, The Girl on the Train is very different from past movies I have seen.
Set in the background of fall on the east coast, Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) commutes everyday to New York on a train. While on her daily trip to and back from work, she passes by Megan and Scott Hipwell’s house (played by Haley Bennett and Luke Evans). They appear to be the perfect couple and encompass everything that Rachel has lost. Coincidentally, Rachel’s ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), and his new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) live a few houses down. Rachel passes by these two couples every day, one causing her pain to see whereas the other is an escape from her daily life.
A detail important to the perception of the film is that Rachel is an alcoholic. One night, when she is walking through her ex-husband’s neighborhood, she thinks she sees something horrifying. She then wakes up the next morning with no recollection of the previous night.
The story goes on as Rachel attempts to discover what truly happens as she immerses herself into the crime investigation. Audience members are taken on a journey with Rachel as she gets more tangled in the story and tries to figure out the truth. Although it takes her the whole movie to sort out what is real and what is false, the end is shocking and is worth the wait.
I enjoyed this movie a lot, mostly for the way the story was told. The narrative is told through Rachel’s eyes and so, you are trying to figure out what happened while you are just as confused and frustrated as she is. Because of her drinking problem, Rachel is sometimes a hard character to understand and empathize with. Nevertheless, I was always rooting for her to win.
When the credits rolled and the audience had all the answers, I sat back in my seat with a satisfied smile; I liked how the audience was brought on a ride to figure it out. Emily Blunt’s performance was strong enough to carry the movie as the lead, and the supporting actresses held their own as well. My only complaint about the movie would be the pacing, as it was a little confusing at times; however, I thought it added to the fun of the ride.