Starring: Emily Blunt, Luke Evans, Justin Theroux
Director: Peter Berg
Release Date: October 7, 2016
Rating: R
Run Time: 1:52
Movie Type: Mystery, Thriller
Commuter Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple, Scott and Megan, from the window of her train. One day, Watson witnesses something shocking unfold in the backyard of the strangers’ home. Rachel tells the authorities what she thinks she saw after learning that Megan is now missing and feared dead. Unable to trust her own memory, the troubled woman begins her own investigation, while police suspect that Rachel may have crossed a dangerous line.
I went and saw this movie over the weekend because even though the book got on my hot damn nerves, I still wanted to see it. I dragged Brenna with me to meet our family friend at the theaters early (for us, anyway) Saturday morning and holy cow, the tickets were so cheap that I may only see movies on Saturday mornings from now on. It cost me $7 as opposed to the freaking $16 I usually pay to see movies in the theater. Yeah, I’m cheap.
So this movie follows three women. Drunk ass Rachel, Loves her some sexy times Megan and Unlikable Homewrecker Anna. The story starts off with Rachel. She commutes to work every day on the train and she people watches from the window of her seat. There’s a couple that she watches from the train and she thinks they have the perfect relationship. They’re a gorgeous couple and she can tell from her spot on the train that the man loves the woman very much. She looks forward to seeing them every day from the train and even makes up little stories about their perfect life. Anything to keep her from looking at the house a few doors down that used to be her house.
Rachel is a hot mess. She drinks too much. She blackouts a lot and you’d think with as many times as she loses huge chunks of time where she has no idea what she did or how she got home, that her ass would get her life together and stop the drinking but she’s an alcoholic and she just can’t help herself. When she becomes involved in the investigation of a missing woman, the woman that she watches from the train, I almost couldn’t believe it because, damn woman. Seriously, get your life!
The second woman is Megan Hipwell, the missing woman. Her story was a lot more complex than the others because her past and her present unraveled throughout the course of the movie. Her seemingly perfect marriage isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be but not for the reasons that you’d think. As we delve into her past and try to figure out her present, we go deep into what made Megan the way that she was. I think aside from Rachel, Megan did the most growing throughout the story.
Anna is the woman that broke up Rachel’s marriage. Or well, Rachel’s husband did but she was the other woman. She was sleeping with Rachel’s husband while he was still married to Rachel and she liked it. She liked being the other woman. She loved all of the sneaking around and shadiness of her affair with Tom so it was very hard to like her.
So Megan goes missing and the mystery surrounding her disappearance was what the whole movie was about. I thought that for the most part, the movie stayed true to the book. Sure, there are some marked differences (the setting for one) but I don’t think any of that takes away from the story itself. I thought the acting was fantastic and the casting was pretty on point. To be honest, I liked the movie more than I liked the book but I don’t know if it was because I was prepared for the story while watching the movie or what but my friend didn’t like the movie, liked the book better and Brenna really liked the movie.
Overall, the movie was good stuff.
My Rating
Good Stuff
Oh glad to hear the movie was good!! I loved the book though so we will see!!
I think you’ll enjoy the movie. It’s got everything the book had but on screen. I thought they stayed pretty true to the story so you shouldn’t be disappointed.
Great review! I’m fully prepared to like the movie more than the book like I did with Gone Girl. In both books, I hated the characters, but in the movie Gone Girl, I found it so much more fascinating with the talented actors/actresses and I feel this one is going to be the same. Can’t wait to see it!
Rebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
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Hi Rebecca!
Thanks for stopping by. Holy cow, that’s exactly how I felt with the book and then the movie. In the book, the characters were so unlikable that my enjoyment of the story suffered a bit because of it but in the movie, I was much more fascinated with the story as it unraveled. So good!
I went to see it early on Saturday as well.
Of course I felt that the book had richer detail and depth but I thought the movie was ok. However, I had zero reaction to Megan’s confession about Libby. I didn’t feel as invested in her character as I did in the book.
You went to see it? Yay! How are you feeling?
As for Megan, I wasn’t invested in her character in either the book or the movie though I did like the movie more than you did. Did you react to her confession in the book? I don’t remember if I did or not. My main reaction was shock at the final reveal.
I reacted – it provided some background into why she was freaking out about a baby. But there was a disconnect to that in the movie, I felt.
Overall I thought it was quite close to the book. I didn’t find Rachel as annoying. Anna still annoyed me. LOL
Same. Anna was my very least favorite person in the movie. Well, after you know who. Rachel didn’t bother me nearly as much in the movie and that surprised me because she pissed me off in the book.
Glad to hear the movie delivered for you. I loved the book on audio, but it will be new to hubby.
You should definitely see the movie. It was good.
lol – Your nicknames for them. I liked the book, so I’m glad to hear the movie is good. I’m not exactly eager to watch it immediately, but will eventually.
What? That’s how I kept them straight in my head. My daughter liked the nicknames too. She asked me during the movie, “Which one is Megan?” and my response was, “The cheater” so I explained the others and she laughed and called me a weirdo.
This would be a good movie to watch at home, under the covers.
I’m with Christy on this one. Much as I love Emily Blunt, am not particularly enthusiastic about the movie. In truth? Gone Girl traumatized me. Lol.
Really? I was thinking of reading the book and watching the movie soon. Should I skip it? Gone Girl, that is.
You normally pay $16 to watch a movie?!? Is this one of the fancy theaters with reclining chairs? I’ve never paid more than $9 to see a movie!
Anyways, I watched this one this past weekend with my roommate without having read the book, and I liked it a lot too. I thought the acting was terrific and though I guessed the killer really easily, I still found it to be enjoyable. Seriously though, EVERY single character in this movie was seriously messed up and needed some kind of therapy, in my opinion!
Yeah, can you believe it? I wish that deterred me from going but it’s doesn’t. *sigh* All of our theaters here in Southern California have reclining chairs and the whole dining experience.
Oh Nick, be glad you didn’t read the book. Everyone in the book was like 10 times worse. Rachel’s drunkeness is more in your face as is Meg’s infidelity and Anna’s homewrecker status. Haha, they’re all terrible characters but I liked the movie and so did my kid (who didn’t read the book either).