Many book-lovers have read and loved the psychological thriller “The Girl on the Train,” a captivating murder-mystery story. On Oct. 7, the film adaption of the book was released, drawing in a large audience of both fans of the book and those intrigued by the trailer.     

Although some changes were made to the original storyline throughout the making of this film, the movie carries a deep emotional effect on the essence of this thrilling story. “The Girl on the Train” focuses exclusively on the unstable emotions and psychology of the main character for emphasis on the strong feelings she encounters and her ever-changing state of mind.     

The film explores the damaged psyche of Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), an alcoholic middle-aged woman who has lost every happiness in her life. She lives with her roommate Cathy (Laura Prepon) and spends everyday riding the train from Manhattan to New York on her ex-husband’s alimony.

The route she takes passes directly by her old home, where her ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux) lives with his new wife. A few houses down, Rachel watches a couple who is young and in love, desperately desiring a love like the one that they share.

Rachel’s drinking problem developed years before, when she and Tom were unable to get pregnant. Every time she drinks heavily, she realizes in the morning that she has no recollection of the events from the night before. The film frequently flashes to Rachel’s drunken, lost memories as she suddenly remembers bits and pieces of important events.

Two years after Rachel and Tom’s divorce, she is still not over the toxic marriage that they shared. Rachel often drinks vodka excessively on the train and spends a great deal of time drunk-dialing Tom as well as passing by their old home.

As the days go by, Rachel notices the house that belongs to the perfect couple, but something is different. The girl she always longed to be is with another man and this infuriates her. Knowing the pain of being cheated on, she spontaneously decides to get off the train near their home and drunkenly follows the girl.

From then on, Rachel remembers little from the night except waking up covered in blood, soon to discover the news of the missing girl that leaves her in a deep unease. A series of dramatic events happen prior to this incident, ones that are both unexpected and shocking.

This movie drills deep into the subconscious mind of Rachel, as the majority of it is filmed in her point of view. Her every thought and feeling is prevalent as it appeals to the emotions of the audience and can be incredibly sad at times. Even at her worst, most cringe-worthy moments, the audience feels what it is like to fill her miserable shoes.

At many points during the film, Rachel’s human interactions can be quite embarrassing and difficult to watch. She seems to be incredibly and unsettlingly pathetic, as Tom left her emotionally devastated and filled with self-hatred. Her actions tend to publicly humiliate her, because a majority of the time she is frequently intoxicated.

This movie is well directed, while every question going through the audience’s mind is eventually answered. Each character adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the entire film and contributes a great deal to each individual’s specific personality.

Although this film is aimed towards a mature audience and is not intended for everyone, each scene is filled with unexpected twists and turns. This movie manages to keep the audience pleasantly intrigued while constantly keeping them on their toes. The film is both thrilling and mind-blowing, making “The Girl on the Train” an overall great movie to go see.