The Girl on the Train (2014) User Reviews

Complex story

[cekadah · 5/10 · 25 October 2014]

A very interesting movie that starts with a simple plot line then slowly becomes a rather complex story that I found difficult to follow at times. Maybe it is the constant editing between Danny with Lexi then Danny with Detective Martin then Danny with Morris (the survivor of a Nazi internment camp).

I understood Danny's obsession with Lexi but became lost with their relationship and the murder plot. This is actually a well performed story but difficult to get involved with as you just don't care about the characters and the plot skips around between too many people talking and Danny telling the whole story to the detective.

I would recommend this film to anyone seeking a mystery movie but you better pay close attention or have the movie long enough to watch it twice.

Glad I only paid half price.

[searover-503-203540 · 4/10 · 16 August 2014]

Empty headed lead who is 'so smart' he get used and abused for a 'mystery woman' - who he never gets to answer to any question. Sorry waste of time. Police know she emptied her trust account - but not her name? Video she sends him at end of film could be used to locate her - yes small Caribbean Islands will extradite murderers. Why did she mask out her face in the video - she has lots of photos - Drivers License, Passport etc. So many questions - not worth time to find-out answers - film was a 4 at best. Was suspenseful enough that we did not walk out in hopes of getting an 'aha' - did not. Actors did good work - even liked 'Spider'

Strange Thriller that is also a delve into obsession.

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 5/10 · 24 February 2017]

Henry Ian Cusick plays Danny who is an Englishman making documentaries in the US. One day he sees a girl on a train who has been crying. He is strangely drawn to her and decides to act on his impulses. She is enigmatic and mysterious and he finds himself wanting to see her again.

Then they do meet and she uses her feminine ways to get him to act out of character and take him down a path that once he has set foot on it, there is no turning back.

Now this is a well written, filmed and acted film. There is a lot of clever observations on life and some real chemistry between the main players. The film works by using flash backs to flesh out what has already transpired and it is done rather well. The problem is that it is all a bit too contrived and unbelievable and the dénouement is just a bit too much to be taken seriously so it loses marks big time.

Unbelievably tortuous to watch

[cmmyakman-550-348799 · 1/10 · 4 September 2014]

Long time user of IMDb, but this is my very first review because I felt compelled to write as I read the unbelievably high scores given to this film by people that must have been on the crew or are relatives of the actors or producers. What an atrocious film filled with bad acting, terrible dialogue and poor pace! I was expecting a good film, then I saw the scores drop for this film in real time over a matter of days on Netflix. I should have sent the film back without watching it as the Netflix algorithms know a stinker from a good or even great film. I watched the whole thing because once I start I can't stop. It was almost a physically painful ordeal that I had to endure just to get through the 1 hr and 20 minutes. I will be on my deathbed and probably think about this film and wonder what constructive thing I could have done with that time instead, perhaps watch paint dry or look into a dark closet. Yikes! Please don't waste your time like I did.

Simply terrible

[penfoldini · 1/10 · 26 July 2016]

Wow, this film is in love with itself. Another reviewer described it as having flatulent dialogue, and quite frankly, I can't think of a better way to describe the film as a whole.

The first hour is literally just 3 or so people pontificating about love and the ideal dream versus reality and slow evolving the plot (if you can call it a plot). Then there's a brief flash of action, and even more pontificating about the inevitable and painfully obvious conclusion. I'm sure its supposed to be intellectual and insightful but ultimately its just a dressed up airport romance novel. The acting is OK; the direction passable; the premise is as tired and unoriginal as it is interesting; the script is big lumbering mammoth that bores you to the point of wanting to rip off your own arm and beat yourself to death with it; and it certainly does't deserve its sense of superiority.

I cannot see anything redeemable about this pretentious pile of crap. Don't bother wasting the hour and 20 minutes; You can get the same amount of blistering insight in to love and perception in a far, far, shorter time - via one episode of the Vampire Diaries... And at least that will give yo a laugh! This is so bad its not even funny.

Pretentious and awful.

[VdkRdbll · 1/10 · 13 August 2016]

This is the worst movie I have ever seen. It's pretentious and senseless, the dialogue so unreal that you can't possibly hope to get into the movie in earnest. The characters are unlikable and I only watched it through to the end because I kept hoping the end would make up for...well, the entire rest of the movie. It didn't. But it's my fault, I had a feeling this movie wasn't going to go well. The very beginning is from the perspective of the main character - whose name I have already mercifully forgotten - and he's going on and on about the creepiest ideas of "love" at first sight that quickly devolves into stalking. It's a frustrating mix of "artsy" arrogance and teenage angst. Don't waste your time.

pretentious and pseudo-profound

[mpower1112 · 2/10 · 4 December 2016]

I came to this film on Amazon thinking I was going to see the 2016 movie by the same name. I must read the captions more closely. If I had I would have avoided what turned out to be a juvenile essay on the meaning of love and life.

When i was 17 or so. after being in love four or five times, and reading too much Sartre in between, I wrote several short stories about love and life filled with overwrought observations that didn't wear well with time. My Dad, a writer, tried to be kind. Save them because they will tell you who you were then and believe me you'll forget, he said. And while they're not very good they do have the virtue of being sincere.

Precisely what this film lacks; instead its gratuitous world-weariness is simply cynical. My juvenile efforts may have been sincere but they didn't ring true because I lacked experience.The author of this film seems to suffer the same deficiency - he fantasizes instead of seeing , thinking, and observing. Which is strange; you'd think someone who is experienced enough to make a technically proficient two hour movie would have moved beyond juvenile fantasies about these potent subjects. Alas, not so in the 2013 version of The Girl on A Train. Do yourself a favor and wait for the 2016 movie by the same name which by all accounts is pretty good.

Dire, one of the worst films I've ever seen

[tom-m-lud · 1/10 · 10 November 2016]

That film was one of the worst pieces of self- indulgent rubbish I've ever had the misfortune of watching. Somehow this came under thriller or action and adventure. It was neither of these. It was such a terrible story line, I don't know how others find it interesting or thought provoking! The acting wasn't bad as such but I didn't connect with any of the characters. Do not watch this for anything other than pretence. The trivia section says it was filmed in 17 days, quite how it took that long I'm not sure, but I definitely would ask for my money back if I'd paid to see it in the cinema. Even the 99p rental on iTunes was too much.

Not as great as many said, but really not as bad either

[bgarts · 6/10 · 16 May 2015]

The plot in this one is a little disjointed and by the end you are wondering what the heck is going on, but it seems to wrap everything up kind of neat. The relationship between Danny and Lexi is confusing and unclear as you are only clued in by his conversation with the detective. Danny and Lexi's conversations are mostly soliloquies, nothing you would hear normal people discuss. Sounds more like they memorized lengthy passages of a thought-provoking novel and repeated them back and forth to one another throughout the movie.

The cinematography and music are very well done. The acting was good, but really not as horrible as some people have reported. I think the relationship between Danny and Lexi could have been fleshed out more. They never even get to a point where they get uncomfortably close to each other, so you wonder why he spent so much energy pursuing her if there is no emotional energy created at some point. It all seems suspiciously platonic, but the why is never clear. Again, the end clears thing up a little in this respect.

Like I said, in the end the confusion is cleared up, but you are left wondering why you were even confused to begin with. You should have enough information to be uncomfortable with what you don't know, not confused wondering what you might have missed, only to find out you didn't miss anything at all.

So see it and make up your own mind. It's a good story regardless.

Love ?

[onlythusfar · 4/10 · 5 November 2016]

This story does pull you in initially, but by the end turns into mush, with its pseudo-philosophical outlook, which another reviewer astutely summarized, as " a combination of arty arrogance and teenage angst". The story of a Nazi concentration camp victim, which the protagonist was making a documentary about, was the most interesting part of the film. The film presents love, as the biological relationship between members of the opposite sex. I believed this in my adolescence ( "teenage angst" ), but have mostly managed to get beyond this, thank God. The monologue near the end is delivered in such a solemn, pontificating manner, it initially sounds profound, until you think about it for a couple of minutes. You then realize, it is totally concerned with an adolescent's viewpoint of love/lust. The movie would have been much better, if this speech, was omitted. I did find it represented women as conniving and irresponsible, through the female lead. It gave the pathetic, popular excuse, that if the woman is sexually attractive enough, this is OK.

The acting was quite good, as well as, the cinematography.

Intelligent dialog and complex plot delivers in a love mystery/thriller

[mdyer-11 · 9/10 · 6 March 2016]

Unfortunately there are 4 movies with this same title, all produced between 2009 - 2016, so before you watch this movie, make sure you are seeing the right one. At the time that I am writing this review there are only 10 prior reviews, with an average of just 4.5 stars out of 10. I almost didn't watch this movie because of its low overall score but I'm very glad that I did because it turns out that this suspense/mystery/love film is at least 9 stars. Compared to the usual mystery movie it is a big breath of fresh air. The dialog is very thoughtful, in most places philosophical, with the characters discussing the relationship of love to stories and of story-telling to reality (and much more). After so many mystery movies with standard dialogs and plots, this film is very refreshing.

The movie involves several parallel stories, with each addressing the nature of the role of deceit and love in life. For example, an elderly Jewish man tells of his experiences in Nazi Germany while interviewed by the hero (a film-maker named Danny Hart, played very aptly by Henry Ian Cusick). In parallel, Danny himself is being interviewed by someone else (I won't say who) and tells his own story of meeting a young woman on a train. Each character, in turn, tells their own stories about yet other characters.

There are so many twists and turns in the plot that I was reminded of The Magus. At the end of the movie I spent quite some time thinking about the statements made by the characters and about the film's conclusion, which in general is the sign of a very good movie -- like reading a short story by Somerset Maugham.

The movie's plot structure might be too difficult for the average viewer but will be thoroughly enjoyed by those who like a complex, thoughtful, intriguing movies regarding good, evil, love, betrayal, truth, art, reality -- for them this movie will deliver an unique experience (like Wood Allen's 1989 movie Crimes and Misdemeanors).

I normally don't review movies but I felt that this movie deserved a much higher rating. I will not give it a 10 just to raise it's rating. I believe it deserves a score of 9. The reason that it is not a 10 (at least for me) is something I cannot discuss here because I don't want to include any spoilers.

I think that a movie of this caliber (although shot in just 17 days) deserves a much wider audience. I have no connection of any sort to anyone involved in the making of this movie.

..it's really better than a four & change

[bjarias · 6/10 · 5 October 2014]

Had wanted to watch this film to see Nicki Aycox's performance. For those looking for a Maxim femme fetale version.. binged.it/1xencd2 .. be advised she's not lookin at all like that in this role (although it seems to have called for it). As for the film itself.. can understand what many are saying about the dialogue. Sometimes writer-director's are at a disadvantage, here it appears to have gone that way. Don't have any huge issues with the acting.. but the scrip was made more complicated than need be.. that coupled with the scene jumping all over the place.. it just all becomes overload. Maybe a second viewing (and using subtitles) will bring it more into focus.

Too slow and complex!!

[sauravjoshi85 · 3/10 · 20 January 2024]

The Girl on the Train is a thriller film directed by Larry Brand. The film stars Henry Ian Cusick, Late Nicki Aycox, Stephen Lang.

Danny Hart, a filmmaker, meets a mysterious woman who leads him on an unexpected journey that takes him away from his smug life.

I am still not been able to understand the crux of the film or why the film was even made. The film has a very complex and confusing storyline and the perplexed makes the film more and more difficult to watch or to understand. There are too many characters out of which some don't even make any sense.

The screenplay of the movie is slow and complex, one has to be very careful and cautious while watching the film. Acting is decent and climax is good.

Overall an average mystery film which i didn't liked at all.

Enigmatic ...

[parry_na · 6/10 · 10 May 2018]

This intriguing thriller stars Henry Ian Cusik as Danny Hart, a documentary film-maker, who is either a victim or perpetrator of a crime. He's being interviewed by police detective Martin (Steve Lang), and his story is told in flashback. Events concern striking up a conversation with Lex (Nicki Aycox), who speaks in riddles, but they become involved nonetheless. Hart's voice-over narration reminds me of the 'beatnik' style of jazzy detective noirs, which is no bad thing.

Psychotic Spider (Charles Aitken), 'the other man' then gets in on the scene and blow me, he speaks in riddles too. They're all at it. Richly atmospheric and enjoyably 'knowing' as this approach is, the impenetrability does become wearing after a while, with it becoming increasingly apparent that this is a series of evolcing set-pieces rather than anything more obvious. It's good: I like it, but it's all a little one-note, with no moments of progression. The performances are excellent, but the sincerity that sneaks in between the dark atmospherics exist in isolation and are difficult to truly believe in. The soliloquies are only cleared up during revelations disclosed during the police interview. On a personal level, I would love to meet someone who spoke so enigmatically, but I think we'd both need a break from each other every so often.

Totally Loved it!!!

[nhackel · 10/10 · 21 May 2014]

I loved this movie. The plot was truly exciting. The acting was great. I do not want to spoil to movie so I am just going to say- GO SEE IT!!!It is an excellent mixture of intrigue and story telling. the movie excites you and really makes you think.

I really liked the acting especially the main character- Henry Iain Cusick. The interweaving story of all these different people. It is a thriller and keeps you at the edge of your seat.

There is a holocaust survivor that shares a story that is truly captivating. I mean it is great one of the best stories I have ever heard someone tell.

It has a lot of twist and turn and is just right!!!

Trains in the present, trains in the past

[cslproulx · 7/10 · 19 December 2016]

The only description visible on amazon.com when I looked up this movie said, essentially, that it was NOT based on the Paula Hawkins novel. That may not sound very helpful, but it sure sold me.

The plot here was complex, with a lot of twists, turns, surprises, and a few obvious plot devices. But overall the characters were compelling, the issues interesting (such as whether an individual would prefer the reality, or the nice story), and mostly the acting was great. I can only think that people who gave this a low number of stars must have thought they were dealing with a 5-star scale and not a 10-star scale.

A lot of Manhattan and upstate Hudson River scenes, and yes, in fact it had a lot to do with trains, both in the moment and in the past.

I am adding this bit because apparently I need 10 lines of text. It looks to me like I already have that.

The Girl on the Train (2013) -- Intriguing !

[lxv2 · 10/10 · 4 August 2014]

A film that pulls the viewer in... You WANT to know what's going on and the parallel stories have great hooks. My favorite thought (although an extremely rare one) when watching a film: "Ha. Didn't really see that one coming." 10 stars to the films/stories/books that are successful in accomplishing that goal. Too many movies have predicable outcomes. Not this one. In a nutshell: The Girl on the Train (2013) is a very watchable film. So much so I actually watched it twice to see any hidden components I might have missed in round one. Yeah, there are a few questions still lurking out there... but questions are good--engages the brain. Not only is the plot very interesting but the filming itself is very well done. Films that suck you in, bounce around in your head, and make you think about it afterward are few and far between these days. A story was successfully created and well delivered.

Great story telling

[ehackel · 10/10 · 21 May 2014]

When a movie's described as a thriller, I'm always a little apprehensive, will the movie actually be a horror movie? Well this was a true thriller, a movie that from start to finish made you wonder what was going to happen next.

What makes this a great movie is the power of the stories. The stories are so interesting and vivid you can't wait to hear how they end.

It is so rare to find a movie where you really don't know what the ending is going to be, this movie is not at all predictable. You're constantly trying to put the pieces together, figure out where is this going, why are people doing these things, why is this story important to the plot.

The ending is so wonderful, when everything comes together and you see the big picture it's sort of like an ha ha moment.

A short but intriguing drama

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 1 March 2017]

This rather short film is centred on documentary film maker Danny Hart who is being interviewed by the police; perhaps he is a suspect, perhaps he is a victim. In flashback we see how he met a girl on a train while heading to interview an elderly man with his own story about a railway journey.

As the girl gets off the train she tells him that her name is Lexa and later he tries to find her again without any success; then she approaches him at New York's Grand Central Station. They start meeting regularly and he gradually learns more about her… or rather he learns what she tells him or more accurately implies. Trying to help her he starts following another man; something that will ultimately put him in a very dangerous place confronted by somebody who tells him that Lexa has been using him from the moment they met. Intertwined with this story we see the interviews Danny had with the elderly man; he tells of his experiences as a young Jewish boy in Nazi Germany as he was transported to the camps; while stopped in a station a young girl pushed a small gold cross through the slats of the wagon; something that gave him hope until the camp was ultimately liberated.

I found this film really intriguing; the opening quickly gripped me and I was keen to learn more about Danny's story and the more we found out the more I wanted to know. From the start it was clear that something bad had happened but the details remain unknown till the end. Lexa is a fascinating character; early on she seems like a good person but the more we see of her it less we seem to know about her. The cast to a fine job with Henry Ian Cusick giving Danny an 'everyman' feel while Nicki Aycox is suitably enigmatic as Lexa. The rest of the cast is pretty solid too. As well as an intriguing main story, the story being told by the Jewish man about his childhood experience in the war was enjoyable and had a great twist at the end. Overall I'd say that this certainly won't be for everybody but I'd recommend checking it out; at only an hour and a quarter in length it is hardly a huge waste of time if you don't enjoy it and it is just as likely that you will enjoy it.

Interesting & Unique, the indie that could

[rustedchina · 9/10 · 3 July 2015]

The Girl on The Train, is an interesting little film about what the soul is capable of doing when in love as well as the lengths one will go to for someone they believe they are falling in love with. It is complex yet the story is woven in a creative way. It is also superbly written as well as acted by both Henry Ian Cusick, Stephen Lang and Nicki Aycox. It is a unique film that keeps you interested from the get go. It was very entertaining! It kept me at the edge of my seat. It very provocative and highly compelling! I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it. I suggest you either rent it on Netflix or purchase it from Amazon. It does not disappoint!!

Good Intrigue and Suspense. Not your every day thriller

[ross-898-690180 · 9/10 · 22 August 2016]

I have seen lots of thrillers and this one has an intricate plot that pulls the viewer in and delivers a cool story line and lots of suspense. Steven Lang is a great actor and Henry Ian Cusick and Nicki Aycox also give fine performances. The film opens with the hero stuck in a very difficult situation and then draws you in to try and figure out he got there. It's intelligently written with some great twists and turns that don't all sort themselves out until the end - with lots of surprises. Leaves you with some good a-ha's and the feeling that had you been paying close attention, the film makers were telling you all along. Worth seeing a second time to see the brilliance in the set up.

Overwritten but compelling

[funforferdinand · 8/10 · 2 March 2024]

As other reviewers have noted no-one speaks the dialogue written in this film. It can easily be seen as pretentious and try hard. The philosophical dialogue is hard for the actors to work with - actors love the authentic and the real and it is not there in this film. The lead actress comes off the best with the written material. The male lead is wooden at times. The actor cant be the male hero he wants to be with this dialogue. Some of the messages or morals in the writing are good though and make you think twice. Actors are addicted to stories and authenticity but here teh script makes their work hard - which is interesting. The cop later in the story is beyond wooden, he is just bad. The story line is complex and engaging though and not at all predictable. I watched to the end wanting to know the outcome.

The chance meeting of a documentary film maker with a beautiful girl on a train leads to a very unusual chain of events and scenarios.

[rayleuterio-86218 · 8/10 · 25 October 2016]

Henry Ian Cusick (as Danny Hart) really amazed me as he acted and delivered his lines very confidently although it was really a highly complex and very intricate script. Same with Nicki Aycox (as Lexi) who also did her lines and acted her role very superbly. The movie has a very well written script - notably of high caliber. The story is not so common as it may seem. And it contains many twists and surprises which will make the viewer really think or use his intellect for the most part of the movie. I really enjoyed watching it up to its ending and has no boring moment due to the fast development of the story line. I give this film "The Girl on the Train (2013)" 8 stars! Try watching it so you'll know what I mean. But remember folks, this is only just my HONEST review.

book of this movie

[youlibecom · 6 June 2015]

hi I have found this movies book on web site and its free, ya its free http://youlibe.com/the-girl-on-the-train/

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She's even started to feel like she knows them. "Jess and Jason," she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

Read The Girl on the Train