The Girl on the Train

Based on Paula Hawkins's 2015 bestseller, director Tate Taylor's highly anticipated film dissatisfies in every way except one: Emily Blunt delivers a powerhouse performance as pathetic protagonist Rachel Watson. Lonely Rachel is a deeply depressed alcoholic who rides trains back and forth from suburban Ardsley-on-Hudson to Manhattan's Grand Central Station. A bleary-eyed divorcee sipping cheap vodka, Rachel projects her vicarious fantasies onto suburbanites living in the stylish houses that run along the tracks near her old home. She's fascinated by one couple in particular: beautiful, blonde Megan Hipwell (Haley Bennett) and her husband Scott (Luke Evans). “She's what I lost,” Rachel convinces herself. Well, not really. Deeply discontented as a Stepford housewife, Megan is flagrantly promiscuous, even trying to seduce her psychiatrist (Édgar Ramírez). Adding to the intrigue, Rachel's ex-husband Tom Watson (Justin Theroux) lives nearby; he's now married to Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) and has a baby girl—and Megan is their nanny. When Megan suddenly goes missing, Rachel becomes obsessed, reporting to a suspicious detective (Allison Janney) that while riding the commuter train she once spied Megan embracing another man on her upstairs balcony. But Rachel suffers from boozy blackouts, so she's not really sure what she remembers. More of a cheesy soap opera than a satisfying murder mystery, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Tate Taylor, the “making-of” featurettes “On Board The Train” (12 min.) and “The Women Behind The Girl” (5 min.), deleted and extended scenes (18 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing adaptation.] (S. Granger)