6 Reasons Why Everyone's Talking About 'The Girl On The Train'
And why it's hailed as the next 'Gone Girl'.
By Julie Mokhtar — 10 Oct 2016, 12:00 PM
If you've been catching up with recent movie news, you'll probably notice more and more reviews comparing 'The Girl on the Train' to the mind-blowing 'Gone Girl'
Aside from the 'Girl' in the movie title, the most obvious similarity between the two films is their choice to portray a different side to women that's a far cry from standard Hollywood templates.
WTH is the movie about?
In 'The Girl on the Train', the story revolves around three troubled women: raging alcoholic Rachel (Emily Blunt) who can't quite get her life on track after her messy divorce from ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux); Tom's new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) who's constantly paranoid after suffering countless harassment episodes by Rachel; and housewife with a dark past Megan (Haley Bennett) who mysteriously disappears one evening.
1. It tells a perfectly human story
On her commute every day, Rachel passes by the home she used to own with her ex-husband, envying his life with his new wife and the baby she's always dreamed of having.
Somewhere along the way, she develops a strange hobby: Staring into the home of a perfect-looking couple just a few houses away from her old house, and vividly imagining (complete with made-up names) what their lives are like.
Most of us haven't gone to that extreme, admittedly, but we all know how paralysing it is to want something so bad and knowing you'll never have it - and it's this familiar feeling that makes the movie uncomfortably relatable.
'The Girl on the Train' author Paula Hawkins compares it to the downsides of social media, where it's much easier to feel bad and insecure about your life when you're comparing it to the seemingly perfect lives you see on Facebook.
hollywoodreporter.com
2. The best-selling novel it's based on remained #1 on the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2015 list for 13 consecutive weeks
The novel's astounding success is a clear indication that the story resonates deeply with the modern-day audience. Following its 2015 achievement, this intimate thriller rose to the top spot again in early January for 2 weeks. The book has since been translated to more than 40 languages.
3. You will not see the plot twist coming
Woven into the seemingly mundane lives of the suburbia dwellers is a murder mystery waiting to be solved. Along the way towards the climax, the movie drops mini gasp-worthy reveals, including the real reason why Rachel is on the train everyday.
4. You'll probably not like Emily Blunt's character very much, but she's okay with that
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Blunt states how being likeable (her "least favourite bloody word in the entertainment industry") as a woman is such a cliché. She says, "There's just so much judgment with women. Rachel isn't 'likable.' What does that mean? To be witty and pretty and hold it together and be there for the guy? And he can just be a total drip?"
hollywoodreporter.com
Fending off protests that Emily Blunt is "too pretty" to play the part of overweight, miserable Rachel, author Hawkins says, "But that doesn't matter. The thing about Rachel is her self-loathing, about what she feels about herself, and Emily really brought that out in the way she carries herself. All that damage is visible."
hollywoodreporter.com
5. The stellar cast's strong performances will make you wonder who you can trust
Joining the line-up of troubled female characters are the equally shifty men: Rachel's ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux) who knows more than he lets on, Scott (Luke Evans) with his sinister streak, and Dr. Kamal Abdic (Édgar Ramírez), a therapist with a weakness for his client.
PS. Here's a little treat for true Friends fans - look out for Lisa Kudrow's appearance in the film!
6. It joins the growing list of powerful female-driven films that challenge women's roles
The 2014 thriller 'Gone Girl' redefined female narratives in films when it portrayed "crazy" wife Amy Dunne as more than a one-dimensional villain, and explored how she ended up there. That's why, despite her vicious revenge plot, the movie left a lot of viewers nodding in understanding of what it's like to be in a toxic relationship.
A year before, the movie 'Her' shattered all notions that women exist only to please their men by telling a story we've all been waiting to hear: women are capable of anything they set their mind to, and should not apologise for exercising their basic right to pursue their passions.
Joining the list of thought-provoking female-led psychological trailers is 'The Girl On The Train', which delves deep into the realities of modern relationships and questions the role and responsibilities assigned to women - what they should look like, how they should behave, and such.
Ready to solve the mystery? Catch 'The Girl on the Train' in cinemas starting 6 October!
