Filmology Rating: 1.8 out of 4

The Girl on the Train stars Emily Blunt as a very disturbed, alcoholic, depressed, recently divorced woman who rides a train every day without a destination. She rides this train every day because it passes by her old home where her ex-husband and the woman he was having an affair with now live happily in. Next to her old house, there is this seemingly perfect couple that she seems to live vicariously through and only dreams of having that happiness once again. When mysteriously the woman in this “perfect” relationship disappears, the woman on the train might be the only one who can solve this mystery based off what she might have seen as the train was passing by.

The Girl on the Train has been one of the most hyped up movies of the fall. Advertisements and commercials have said it will be the next Gone Girl and will be one of the best mystery thrillers in a long time. However…. That was not the case. Now was this movie entertaining?..... Yes it is. It is an interesting story that had a very intriguing plot. However was this a good movie and worth the time and money? No.

Before I get into why this movie didn’t live up the hype and expectation, we need to get into the best part of the film. Emily Blunt…. Well to be blunt, she was phenomenal. She was unsettling almost to see how well she portrayed this character. If there is any reason to see this movie, it is her performance by far. She isn’t given much when it comes to the dialogue (nobody really is) but it is her physical mannerisms and look that she has that is completely convincing and mesmerizing. Along with the incredible acting of Emily Blunt, we have a cast of characters that you will recognize that range from excellent performances to borderline bad based off a certain scene. This brings me to my first critique….

The writing for this A-list big budget film felt very poor. Sometimes it felt really well done and then at times it was actually awful and very cheesy. There are lines that just don't make sense and character choices that just don't add up as well. For a best-selling novel and a movie hyped up to the amount this film has been, I was very disappointed in the writing throughout the film. Along with the writing was the poor direction. Tate Taylor was NOT the right choice for this film. Since people have been comparing this story to Gone Girl, how about you go out and get David Fincher who can bring that same intensity and mystery that Gone Girl had! Fincher would have done an incredible job with this story and would have made all the little qualities of the film that was missed under Tate Taylor come alive and work alongside the positive qualities of this film.

Now I have not read the book so I really can’t compare the movie to the book, but is the book really this predictable? Does the book really have all of these cliché qualities? I will admit that the twist in the story did have be somewhat surprised but the who done it and why was completely predictable. Due to the saturation of cliché moments, poor writing, and also the lack of emotion throughout, I cannot recommend that you spend your time and money on this film. If you are dead set on seeing it, then go see it for Emily Blunts performance then. She is an Oscar contender for sure, or should be. However, nominations rarely go to actors or actresses of movies that aren’t that good. It really is such a shame because she deserved more than how this film turned out.

Rating: Skip It 

-Nick

Crafting an effective thriller takes the rights combination of ingredients and execution to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Key ingredients include a large helping of mystery, a handful of flawed characters, and a seasoning that is rich in suspense. Like a loaf of bread, if you don’t combine and bake these ingredients properly, the bread will fall flat. Despite its popular source material and talented cast, Girl on the Train falls flat. 

Centered on the lives of three women, Girl on the Train jumps repeatedly between not only the characters, but also different points in time. The film focuses primarily on Rachel, played by Emily Blunt. Rachel is a jobless alcoholic who rides the same train to New York City day in and day out. Rachel rides this train because while on it she can catch glimpses of two different families. One is that of her ex-husband Tom and his wife Anna who have a young daughter, and the other is that of Megan who seems to lead a marriage full of passion and love. Rachel occasionally stalks her ex-husband and interferes with Anna’s happy marriage to Tom. While riding the train one day, Rachel witness an act of infidelity on the part of Megan. This single moment causes Rachel to leave the train while in an inebriated state. Rachel’s eventual blackout coincides with the disappearance of Megan, leading to a criminal investigation with Rachel as a key suspect. 

From the beginning, Girl on the Train displays a remarkable number of similarities to 2014s Gone Girl. Everything from the visual style, to setting, and even the soundtrack bears a striking resemblance to Gone Girl. The primary difference being that Gone Girl was masterly crafted, while Girl on the Train plays out like a Lifetime movie injected with a great deal of Hollywood capital. Although the actors themselves put forth their best effort, it is the characters and the writing that fall short. Emily Blunts portrayal of Rachel serves as the protagonist of the story. As a flawed protagonist she serves the story well, but the plot and writing fail to make her a character that the audience truly feels attached to. Although it is not totally uncommon to have an unlikable protagonist, a film must succeed significantly in other areas to make it successful. Films that follow this path must either maintain their suspense and dark tone like Gone Girl, or innovate in terms of style or humor similar to 1994s Shallow Grave. Girl on the Train fails to do anything outside of the mundane and cliché, ending in a way that more akin to a melodramatic soap opera. 

What began as a promising thriller in the vein of Gone Girl has turned out to be nothing more than a waste. No amount of money, talent, or strong source material can save a film when it is poorly constructed. This train should have never left the station. 

Rating: Let It Burn

-Tyler