PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Sometimes watching a movie that you don’t know anything about is the way to go. I knew that The Girl On The Train was a novel; however, I did not read it. Many times, people say that the original book is better than the movie, which is exactly why I don’t read the book until after I’ve seen the film. I hate it when I get let down because of the preconceived notations that I have in my head after reading the novel. With The Girl on the Train, I not only avoided the novel but the trailer as well. I wanted to go into it blind. So did I find it to be a complete trainwreck? Or was it worth the 122-minute ride?
The Girl on the Train began as a best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins and was then adapted into a screenplay by Erin Cresida Wilson and directed by Tate Taylor. It opened in theaters on this past Friday, October 7th. On IMDb.com, it has a rating of 6.7/10 and on Rottentomatoes.com it only has a rating of 44%. So let’s break it down and try to figure out why it has such mixed reviews!
The plot follows Rachel (Emily Blunt), a woman who rides the train to work. Every day, the train she’s on passes a house where she thinks a “perfect” couple live and she spends her free time fantasizing about their lives. She honestly believes that they are the epitome of true love. Rachel herself happens to be a down on her luck drunk whose ex-husband lives two doors down from her dream couple. One day, she notices that the “perfect” wife is on the balcony of their house with another man. That’s when things start to get twisty! Did she really see what she thinks she saw? Did her alcoholic state of mind play tricks on her? The next day, the woman is reported missing and Rachel, after a full blown pub bender, wakes up with no memory of the night befre and covered in blood. Did she have something to do with why the woman is missing? Or could this raging drunk be the only witness the police have to finding the missing woman?
What works for me: The beautiful disaster Emily Blunt plays the role of Rachel to perfection. This movie hit a little too close to home for me on some aspects; however, that was what made it all the more enjoyable. The characters of Rachel and perfect wife Megan (Haley Bennett) are so relatable. I bought their story and the lives that they lived, so excellent casting on those roles. It certainly had a Gone Girl (2014) vibe to it. Emily Blunt gave a powerhouse performance in this film. The movie may have been a bit on the long side but my eyes were glued to the screen for the entire run.
What doesn’t work for me: The movie was so predictable. Besides Rachel and Megan, everyone else was just kind of blah to me and I didn’t really care what happened to them. With the movie being so darn easy to figure it out, it took away the fun of guessing for me. It’s certainly not as shocking as it claims. It’s a good film, but it’s not brilliant by any means. What makes it a must-see is just how amazing Blunt is.
Final Thoughts: I would recommend this movie, although with the warning that the story does lack in a lot of areas due to it being so predictable. This, I believe, is where the mixed reviews come from. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Blunt get an Oscar nomination for her betrayal of Rachel. Her performance is one that is going to stick with me for years to come. The movie is not a train wreck. I would ride that train again and will be adding this film to my collection when it hits stores. My rating: 7/10.
