Movie Brief: The Girl on the Train

Perhaps the plot would have been swifter if the girl was on a plane

Based on the best-selling novel, “The Girl on the Train” tells the story of an unwitting woman, who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery after what she witnessed from the train. When I heard that the book debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers list in 2015, I eagerly anticipated the psychological thriller’s big screen release.

Plot: The Girl on the Train is about divorcée Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), who commutes daily on the train and fantasizes about the lives of her former neighbors Scott (Luke Evans) and Megan Hipwell (Haley Bennett). She’s intrigued by what she sees—a beautiful woman, her handsome husband, and their seemingly charmed life. In her personal life, Rachel drinks heavily and stalks her happily married husband Tom (Justin Theroux) and his new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). Soon Rachel discovers that things aren’t always as they appear when Megan goes missing and she is a suspect.

Engagement: For about two-thirds of the film, the plot dragged along as we watched Rachel drunkly fantasize about strangers and obsess over her ex. It’s not until the latter part of the film when the story becomes engaging and you begin to realize that Rachel isn’t an emotionally disturbed drunk, but a woman who has been wronged and as a result, disappeared inside a bottle of booze. Rather than confront her husband, who turns out to be at the center of the mystery, she becomes an unwanted fixture in his life. When it is evident of the direction the story is taking, the intrigue escalates.

Style: The costuming in the film is functional in helping tell the story. Rachel’s look is drab and conservative. She’s simple and doesn’t stand out, which works well with her character.

Release date: Oct. 7th

Image source: Universal Pictures