Whilst the best-selling book lists are frequently populated with crime novels, high profile crime / thriller films are becoming increasingly rare. Maybe the box office success of Gone Girl and now The Girl on the Train – based on Paula Hawkins’ massive best seller – shows that there is a market for these movies. I think that is a good thing as this is a solid, well-crafted piece of entertainment for grown-ups.
The increasingly impressive Emily Blunt plays the titular girl – Rachel. Troubled after a messy marital break up and becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol, her life is a mess. As she takes a daily commute to New York, she passes by the house she used to live in with her husband and her dream home a couple of doors down. One day, she sees the woman from that house – Megan (Haley Bennett) – with another man. Shortly afterwards, Megan goes missing and Rachel becomes a suspect in her disappearance.
Despite some pretty graphic scenes, this is good-old-fashioned entertainment. Whilst the identity of the villain is pretty obvious, there are enough twists and turns along the way to give that assumption some serious doubt. As well as Blunt, Bennett – for the second time in a few weeks, and in a very different role to that in The Magnificent Seven – is excellent.
The opening half-hour feels a bit fragmented as director Tate Taylor attempts to tell the stories of Rachel, Megan and Anna (Rachel’s ex-husband’s new wife). I understand the book features a chapter for each woman, and that device works better on the page than on the screen. Once past that, though, the film really starts to grip. The themes of trust, and the tendency to repeat mistakes and indiscretions are interestingly explored as the plot becomes denser and more satisfying.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10