The moment I saw the preview for "The Girl on the Train," I knew it was a movie I had to see. The preview hinted at it being a twisted thriller that would capture the interest of many people quickly. And I believe it did. I've heard a lot of talk and anticipation about this movie, so I knew a lot of people were excited for this past weekend when it was finally released. As soon as I saw the preview, I also immediately read the book by Paula Hawkins. I tried my best to keep my expectations low (since movies can never do a book justice), but I actually have a lot of great things to say about it.
First of all, the filmmakers did a fantastic job following the book. Yes, a few details were left out or changed, but overall they followed the book very well. Before watching the movie I started to get nervous they would change the movie so much from the book that I wouldn't like it. This happens so often with other films based on books, so I tried my best to keep my expectations low. However, this was not the case for "The Girl on the Train."
The story is a great one that keeps you interested the whole time. Never did I get bored and wait for the end of the film. There seemed to be something new around every corner, keeping me waiting to hear finally what was going on. Even though I knew what would happen from the book, I felt they makers did a fantastic job keeping the audience guessing. They hinted at the ending just enough to avoid giving it away, but not completely ruling out the ending either!
The actors were amazing as well. The casting crew picked a phenomenal group of people that not only physically looked how I pictured them while reading the book, but simply carried out their roles just as I imagined they should. Emily Blunt (Rachel), Haley Bennett (Megan), and Justin Theroux (Tom), to me, especially did an amazing job as actors. They did incredible performances.
The producers did a great job with creating a nice setting too. The overall story has very dark themes involving mental health issues, alcoholism, guilt, visions of reality, etc. They kept the story dark, twisted, and captivating for all. It made me feel bad for Rachel, then bad for Megan, then angry at Rachel, then angry at Megan. Then I'd feel bad for Tom, then angry at Tom. The whole story kept making me have conflicting feelings, which probably was one of the aims for the producers. Such a great job.
I thought this was a fantastic movie based on a fantastic book. If you're interested in a unique and twisted thriller, "The Girl on the Train" is the one for you. It will keep you entertained, on the edge of your seat, and keep you thinking for quite a while after watching it!
