The Girl on a Train Review

Fellow movie-goers: Wonderful mystery, unfolds rather nicely.

Ratings are based on 1 to 10 Reels

9 Plot: Great mystery, unfolds rather nicely.
7 Directing: Tate Taylor does a great job, although there are moments that cause confusion.
8 Acting: Emily Blunt is awesome and carries the movie.
7 Cinematography: Great shots, love the angles in many of the shots while Rachel is remembering.
8 Pacing: Keeps your attention and beckons you to solve the mystery as they unravel it.
7.8

Here is the premise: Rachel Watson’s life post-divorce is very depressing, so she drowns her sorrow in a bottle of Vodka. Every day, she takes the train in to work in New York, and every day the train passes by her old house. The house she lived in with her husband, who still lives there, with his new wife and child. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down, Megan and Scott Hipwell, and she makes up a wonderful story of how their romance is what she always wanted; straight out of a fairy tale. She gets obsessed with the couple and after a drinking binge, she awakes to find out the girl is missing and Rachel is flung in the middle of the investigation.

I have never read the book so I cannot compare the two, rather, I wanted to see if the movie could stand on its own. The good news is that it does well on standing on its own, it is very intense and the mystery unravels a little at a time just like a good mystery should. I had part of the mystery solved pretty early, but there are some areas that I did not see coming, so kudos for that. There are a couple of spots where I was a bit confused, but then it made sense a few minutes later; this was due to the way it is presented to the viewer, in a combination of reality, fantasy, and flashbacks. This does not in any way take away from the movie, it just means it is important to pay attention throughout the movie.

Emily Blunt is absolutely awesome, she carries the film and runs the gambit of emotions for her and the viewer; there are times you feel sorry for her, you hate her, or you root for her. The character of Rachel is very complex, and Blunt knocks it out of the park with her portrayal. Justin Theroux also is awesome as Rachel’s ex-husband, a man who is trying to carry on with his own life with his wife and child and dealing with his ex being obsessed with his new life. Haley bennett is also fantastic as Megan, the girl is disappears; her character is also pretty complex and unfolds a little at a time throughout the film.

This is a really good movie for mystery buffs, just remember to pay close attention all the way to the end.

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