The Girl on the Train – Film Review
Published November 24, 2023
Movie Details
Loosely based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling thriller novel, The Girl on the Train, director Tate Taylor and scriptwriter Erin Cressida Wilson attempted to conjure an intriguing whodunit plot filled with passion, mystery, and a volley of hidden secrets. Despite having Emily Blunt headlining the project, a robust source material to pick from, and the promise of intrigue and suspense, the movie falls dreadfully short of expectations. It’s a tawdry tale veering around treachery, but one whose fumbling narrative and unfulfilled execution mean it feels like a long and grim train ride to a rather unsatisfying conclusion.
Emily Blunt takes on the role of Rachel Watson, the voyeuristic alcoholic divorced woman who watches a perfect couple from her daily commute’s train window, whose lives, in her envious eyes, starkly contrast with her failed marriage. Blunt attempts to portray Rachel’s complexity with deftness. However, while she turns in a performance that is invariably committed, even visceral at times, her struggle to bring life to Rachel fails, leaving us with an inconsistent and incomplete understanding of her character.
While Blunt takes up a large part of the film’s real estate, other important characters from the book like Megan (Haley Bennett), Scott (Luke Evans), and Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) suffer from two-dimensional characterization and offer rather fleeting and unsatisfying interactions. Each one seems a marionette held captive by the screenplay’s mediocrity, instead of blossoming into layered personalities of interest.
Erin Cressida Wilson’s screenplay hews to the nonlinear structure of Hawkins’ novel, ping-ponging among a month of days. But this incessant switch among timelines and perspectives does more harm than good, making the narrative hard to follow. The information we glean is scattershot, forcing us to connect dots that haven’t been adequately sketched out. This has a detrimental impact on the engagement quotient of the film and makes the plot appear far more complicated than it should be.
Even Tate Taylor’s direction fails to weave the scattered narrative threads together into a coherent, gripping tale. There is a clear deficiency of subtle detail and depth that any mystery thriller deserves. The beautiful metaphorical juxtaposition that Hawkins played with, of the train tracks mirroring Rachel’s spiraling descent into oblivion, seems absolutely lost in the cinematic representation.
Also, there are questions over how well the book’s transposition from its original British setting to an American backdrop works. Suburban New York simply lacks the same vibe of seedy transgression that might be more effectively implied by less idyllic environs. While the cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen showcases stunning visuals, the sense of gloomy darkness requisite for the story seems lacking. Danny Elfman’s somber background score is appropriate but rarely stands out.
The Girl on the Train lacks a raw intensity in suspense. The climax appears rushed, dropping off a major reveal that seems overly simplified and lacks the punch required to compensate for the slog that has preceded it. For a thriller that had plenty of time for us to witness Rachel’s self-loathing, the movie wrapped up in an uncomfortably tidy resolution with unanswered questions hanging in the air.
At 112 minutes, the film takes a desolate narrative course that feels longer than it is, making for a demanding watch. Instead of mirroring the nail-biting grip of its source material, the film becomes an overly verbose narrative.
The Girl on the Train had the potential to become a standout mystery thriller. A well-received book as the base, an impressive cast, and an acclaimed director made for an engaging premise. However, a disjointed narrative, a lack of emotional depth, an overly convoluted screenplay, and a sudden, unrewarding conclusion render this adaptation a disappointment.
It is often said that the journey is more important than the destination, and in the case of The Girl on the Train, the destination is regrettably as tedious as the journey itself. The end result is akin to a commuter train – punctual, committed to its path, but offering little of excitement or interest – as it trundles along to its known destination, evoking feelings of regret for time rather wasted than enjoyed