3 women, 2 men, an odd spattering of shrinks, strangers, and police detectives, all brought together by a train and a murder.
Rachel (Emily Blunt) is a disparaging woman who has turned to alcohol to drown out her problems (not being able to have a baby, then losing her husband to an affair). Apathetic and directionless, Rachel rides a train to and from the neighboring city every day. From the train window, she can see a couple in a house near the tracks. They seem to be deeply in love, possessing everything Rachel herself has lost, and she daydreams about their lives.
Megan (Haley Bennett) is a sexually frustrated housewife who doesn't sure her husband, Scott's (Luke Evans), desire to have a baby. Shadowed by a past tragedy, Megan engages in shady affairs with everyone from her neighbors to her therapist, anyone she feels won't expect anything from her (baby-wise).
When Rachel witnesses Megan kissing another man, she gets off the train, intending to confront Megan about her infidelities. She wakes up the next morning covered in blood, with no memory of the night before, and to the news that Megan has gone missing. Now she must regain her memories in order to exonerate herself of Megan's murder while trying to help the police and Scott hunt down Megan's real killer.
The movie stays true to the Paula Hawkins book on which it's based, even maintaining the book's non-linear storyline. The movie is trippy, but I thought it was much easier to follow than the book (maybe this is because I'm a visual learner?) Emily Blunt is all-but-recognizable, but she really knocked her performance out of the ballpark with this character. Haley Bennett's performance is spotless.
Cinematically, this movie is beautiful! Camera angles, scenic shots, and the unique soundtrack all work together to build tension and enhance the already intricate story.
Problems: This movie is rated R for a reason. There's a lot of sex scenes, mostly naked women from behind, never anything full-frontal. There's also a fair amount of strong/bad language. Other than that, a few people get physically attacked (one person lethally so), and one guy gets stabbed in the throat.
Worth seeing? Yes!
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