The Girl on the Train

Creativity? If only! Gone Girl 2, but for a less sophisticated audience that hasn’t seen much and only knows Fincher from the train. Thanks to the novel it's based on, Girl on The Train has the potential to be a chilling and distinctive thriller, but that potential is nullified by a twist that anyone can guess halfway through the film. The other thing that doesn't work reliably is the editing and all the flashbacks and time jumping. Someone must have been under the influence of drugs, because it is very difficult for the viewer to piece together what, when, where, how, and anyway they explain it semi-literally and literally at the end, even though leaving loose ends would have been so much better. Emily Blunt gives a performance that makes you hope from the halfway point that she will take off her autumn coat, show her muscles and start doing good with a gun in her hand, but it doesn’t happen. (10/23/2016)

Yes, I know that Gone Girl was filmed better, but I liked The Girl on the Train a little more. The thing is, while watching this story, I didn't shake my head in disbelief as often, and I liked the way the film stayed grounded and didn't need to hurl one “surprising" twist after another at us. And although I know she's an excellent actress, I've never seen Emily Blunt act this great before. (02/28/2021)

A rare case where the adaptation perfectly copies the emotional and subjectively perceptual arc of the original, including its greatest strengths and weaknesses. It builds a perfectly constructed female triangle, pulling closer with every scene, a paranoid atmosphere where no explanation of the mystery is too far-fetched – and unfortunately, a conclusion that disappointed me as the absolute simplest and altogether black-and-white solution. Despite that, thanks to Emily Blunt, I was considering a higher rating for a long time, as she portrayed Rachel with credible emotions even in the subtlest nuances. Haley Bennett prevented me from doing so, sine despite her undeniable charms, she is too cold and cannot fully portray the idealized Megan due to her completely superfluous transparency. (10/24/2019)

At first glance, The Girl on the Train evokes Gone Girl, it depicts the issue of relationships that are extremely dysfunctional. Emily Blunt plays the role of an observant and sad alcoholic clinging to her past really well and her performance was truly convincing, as was the atmosphere and the raw authenticity of some of the scenes. However, compared Gone Girl, this film lacks some more WOW-effect at the end, something that would a chill down your spine spine; they could have gone even further, maybe. Moreover, it was clear to me from about halfway through who was responsible for the crime. In short, a film where the potential is visible, but not fully exploited. (11/05/2016)

I'm afraid that the whole phenomenon of The Girl on the Train is much more interesting than the thriller itself. However, the net product is a good female drama that shows that it is realized through a female lens. Well, why not? Actually, hip, hip, hooray. But all the PR hype, unfortunately, sells something else entirely, i.e., almost that it is a horror movie about an unstable mysterious woman who perhaps commits some crimes on a train in the moonlight or something. It would be worth analyzing if the product itself is not that good or if the promotion just doesn't believe it can sell the project without manipulation to a recipient who appreciates the topic/genre/whatever. I think it really misses the mark and that's a shame. (10/16/2016)