The Girl on the Train

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)

quick review:

Even without the deftness of a thriller, it holds your attention. Yet, it could have been told better.

Read more
Director: Tate Taylor
Running time: 110 minutes
Genres: Thriller
More Movie Info

Would I be saying anything new at all when I say, the book is better – in the way it unfolds and in the nuances you know about the character. So, given that the book is almost always better and you cannot possibly unread a book, I'd say, if you haven't read the book and don't intend to, the movie, The Girl On The Train might just be worth the thrill.

Would I be saying anything new at all when I say, the book is better

It doesn't take the usual path of a thriller suspense. It starts of with you wondering about the protagonist as she mulls in a train and talks about her obsession with the people who live by the track. And it slowly builds up about specific people who live by the track and so on.

You are slowly introduced to two other women and the live they lead. But you don't get to know them too well – what do they think or like. They seem sort-of coincidental to the film. I would have liked to know them better. It is a good thing though that the characters are well-cast.

Emily Blunt (Rachel), Haley Bennett (Megan) and Rebecca Ferguson (Anna) do well with the sketchy character sketches drawn for them. However, it felt like the camera did a lot of their work for them. It shook and held steady to show Rachel's drunk and sober phases. It moved a voyeuristic gaze over Megan to bring her sensuousness to us.

Unfortunately, though the story doesn't take that further. It becomes an episodic narration of one thing after another with a bit of back and forth in the timeline. It might leave you a little disoriented but never disinterested. If only the big reveal came a little smoothly.

If you haven't guessed already, yes – almost each of those sentences above could end with “unlike in the book”. Even if the book isn't the greatest read there is.

- meeta, a part of the audience

External reviews for this movie are not available

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

No readers have rated this movie yet.

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: Lots.
  • Language: Lots of abusive language even if some of it is muted out
  • Nudity & Sexual content: A love-making scene. A couple of kisses
  • Concept: A woman observes another from a train. The observed goes missing. The observer gets involved and discovers a lot about herself.
  • General Look and Feel: A mysterious look about it.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
Lead Actors:
Character Artists:
Dialogues:
Screenplay:

The Girl on the Train - Cast, crew, links

Producer:
Director:
Music Director:
Running time:
110 minutes
Reviewer:
Language:
Country:
USA
Genres:

Comments (1)

Click here for new comment

Have read the book and loved every chapter.

Leave a Comment