THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Decent thriller with Emily Blunt

Observing these two houses generates a swing of moods in the titular character. From envy and hatred to melancholy and infatuation. These states are reinforced in two ways. Firstly, by constantly reminiscing about her own life – transcribing scenes from family life seen through the window into her own sad experiences. Secondly, by alcohol, distorting and warping her cognitive abilities. Everything is therefore unclear and foggy. Occasional moments of sobriety are consistently suppressed by regularly “cut-off films.” The Girl on the Train

The intrigue in “The Girl on the Train” is painfully typical. One day, Rachel sees Megan kissing a stranger on the balcony. In the evening, completely intoxicated, she gets off the train at an earlier stop to visit her ex-husband. Passing through the tunnel under the tracks, she is attacked. The next morning, she wakes up bloodied and battered in her bed. From the press, she learns that Megan has gone missing. A few days later, the police find the girl’s body. Detectives step in, and Rachel is naturally among the suspects.

In The Girl on the Train, it’s not so much about solving the criminal mystery and answering the question “who killed?” but delving into the psyche of the main character.

The whole situation brings Rachel to a pivotal moment in her life. However, the protagonist decides to unravel the whole case on her own despite extreme exhaustion. It becomes her first life goal in a long time, a reason to mobilize and save herself. To save herself from something much more important than prison bars. The creators manage to motivate Rachel’s actions convincingly. It’s easy to root for her.

The plot of Tate Taylor‘s film relies on flashbacks, repeating the same situations. Rachel constantly recalls events from the past, wanting to process and organize it. On this level, The Girl on the Train even succeeds – it’s a satisfying study of illness, a debilitating addiction. Emily Blunt should capture attention in a few moments. Her commitment and attempt to extract as much as possible from this role are visible. The standout scene is undoubtedly in the restaurant’s restroom when the character, in an alcoholic trance, vents all her anger. The actress can then infect the screen with charisma.

The Girl on the Train disappoints on multiple occasions. The psychological journey into Rachel’s depths is interesting, but it collides with a rather indifferent criminal subplot. The director and screenwriter do not provide clues, do not allow the viewer to make any assumptions. When something is unclear, a flashback is immediately introduced to dispel doubts, usually through Rachel and her memory flashes. It’s not a very elegant method, rather narrative pathology. The first time it’s justified, but it can be annoying in subsequent instances.

We also don’t experience a solid personality conflict here – in the prologue, the film is divided into three chapters: Anne, Megan, Rachel. Except for the last one, they are anonymous and transparent characters. Treated object-like not only by male characters but also by the director.

The creators strive to give The Girl on the Train depth, whether through the overuse of slow pace, literary dialogues (oh, those deliberations with the therapist), or Rachel’s whispered reflections on reality. It’s a glaring ornamentation. However, even with that, it is decent cinema. It’s neither a disastrous failure nor a thorough film job. A painless session for a sleepy weekend afternoon.