In July of 2015 I spent two days with my nose buried in the gripping thriller The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. My friend Diana passed the book along to me, and instructed me to “hurry up and read it” because she couldn’t wait to discuss it with someone. Usually mysteries aren’t my favorite genre, but once I started reading it, I quickly understood why it had become a bestseller. As I devoured each page, I remember dying to understand why the main character Rachel Watson, who initially seems like a pathetic and depressed loser, is so obsessed with a couple who she catches glimpses of as her train passes by their house on her way to and from work each day.
Admittedly I’m sometimes hesitant to see a movie if I’ve already read the book because more often than not novels have a tendency of being better than story adaptations on the big screen, but I was eager to go see this one. I wondered if The Girl on the Train starring Emily Blunt as the main character would keep me as intrigued and downright anxious as I felt when I couldn’t put the book down.
How did the movie compare to the book? It was just as much of a psychological thriller, and definitely stayed true to the book! Emily Blunt’s performance as an alcoholic struggling with blackouts was superb, and viewers will find themselves vacillating between feeling sorry for her and feeling confused by her erratic behavior. Blunt’s character Rachel finds herself caught in a twisted set of circumstances, some of which she embeds herself in as she’s inebriated and some that are a result of seemingly bad decisions while she is sober.
Like the book, the movie isn’t told in chronological order, and switches from present day to flashbacks and back to present day again throughout the film, keeping viewers mentally engaged. The mystery’s central plot focuses on three women, Rachel, Anna (played by Rebecca Ferguson), and Megan (played by Haley Bennett), and as the plot unfolds viewers will try to figure out how the intersection of the women’s lives connects to the disappearance of someone. Justin Theroux (a.k.a. Mr. Jennifer Aniston) plays Tom, Rachel’s ex-husband who knows firsthand how her drinking can be destructive. He understands her alcoholism is an attempt to drown the void in her life, but his pity for her hasn’t stopped him from moving on with his life.
As the story progresses viewers will find themselves trying to connect the dots as they sort through the details to try to unravel the whodunit. I attended the movie with my friends Kelly, Dani, and Savanna. Dani, who read the book, shared, “I thought it was very well done and intense. It was a good thriller that you have to pay attention to. It kept you on your toes.” Savanna, who hadn’t read the book prior to seeing the movie, said, “I liked it. I want to read the book now!” Kelly, who also hadn’t read the book, was surprised by the film, saying, “It was good! Creepy!” Kelly reflected that the movie is a powerful reminder that you should never judge anyone because no matter what you think, the truth is often different than perception.
If you like mysteries (with a little bit of sex mixed in here and there), then go see The Girl on the Train. Just remember . . . “What you see can hurt you.”
Movie times: click here
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Actors: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux
Rating: R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity
Running Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
