Justin Forrest
Contributor
The Girl on the Train is a mystery thriller drama based on the 2015 book of the same name. The movie stars an incredible cast including Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett and Justin Theroux.
This story is about three women whose lives become interconnected, mainly through Rachel (Blunt’s character), who is struggling with her obsession of her ex-husband, her previous life and alcoholism, which eventually leads to a murder mystery where she isn’t even sure if she is innocent or not.
Rachel isn’t the only one with issues, as the other two women struggle with pain, abuse, and loss that all send them into dangerous coping mechanisms.
While this movie does tread familiar ground when it comes to mystery thrillers, the cast and storytelling, particularly the way the movie feeds you flashbacks to fill in the blanks, will keep you hooked.
Of course, like most movies of the genre, there is always a twist in the end that doesn’t go with the puzzle pieces it gives you. In this regard, you could probably see the ending coming. On the plus side, this movie contains a stellar side cast that contains cameos by Orange is the New Black star Laura Prepon, The West Wing’s Allison Janney and Friend’s Lisa Kudrow.
The icing on the cake is a delightful melodramatic soundtrack throughout the movie. Making use of violin and electric guitar to keep things somber, without being too overbearing.
While not the best movie of the year, or even the season, Rachel’s emotional and mental turmoil, Anna’s paranoia, and Megan’s longing for change, coping and fate all deliver an entertaining story that, if you have an open mind, will keep you guessing. I give it three reels out of five.
