I didn’t have high or low expectations for The Girl on the Train movie directed by Tate Taylor. The novel, written by Paula Hawkins was okay, not surprising me in many ways, but I wasn’t thoroughly disappointed in it. It was harked as another Gone Girl, a thriller that had high praise and was eventually turned into a film that received an Oscar. If I hadn’t read the novel, the beginning of the movie would have been very confusing. It’s choppy, inconsistent, and uses multiple points of view that wouldn’t really “click” until the real plot is revealed.

It centers around Rachel; an alcoholic, pathological liar, and frequent rider of a train that passes her ex-husband’s house. She develops an almost stalker-like routine of creating her own scenarios with the people she views on the outside of the train. After one of the women she passes everyday goes missing, Rachel claims to have the answers. But can you trust a woman who can’t even recall the day before, nor has an alibi for that day?

The film stays true to the source, with some minor changes from book to movie. The way the movie was filmed was brilliant. Rachel’s point of view was hazy and slow, much like a stream of consciousness. I saw it with my father, who had no prior knowledge of the plot and he “got it” for the most part. I think it would be enjoyable for clueless movie-watchers, since the “ohh” moment comes later in the film. For the film alone, See it with a mature audience, since there are some explicit scenes. I will give it a solid 8/10.