“The Girl on the Train” is the movie adaptation based on Paula Hawkins’s bestselling novel of the same name. This movie is directed by Tate Taylor who also directed “The Help”, and stars Emily Blunt as a woman who commutes on a train every day and when she is on the train she looks out the window and sees whatever it is that people are up to. In my world that’s called stalking. Throughout the movie’s exposition, this girl explains that there is one house with a specific couple that she is pretty curious about. At a certain point she eventually notices something wrong in the backyard of that house then lets the authorities know about it. This progresses through a good chunk of the movie, at least that’s what I remember, because part of me doesn’t even want to remember this garbage.

Just for the record, I never read the novel which this movie is based on, so you won’t be seeing any comparisons back and forth between the book and movie to show which one was better or what changes could have been added to the movie that may have enhanced or degraded the experience. I have a feeling I should have read the book considering how bored I got watching this movie.

The best part of the movie to me was Emily Blunt, the movie’s star. I have to say her performance as Rachel in this film was really good. Out of everyone in this movie I feel Emily showed much more emotion than anybody else, and I wonder if she will get any nominations for some of the upcoming award shows. Despite what I think of Blunt’s performance, it doesn’t mean I liked her character. Also, you know something? That’s probably the biggest problem I had with this movie. None of the characters caught my attention, and while all the actors seem to do the best they can in this movie, the flick doesn’t have the wow factor.

I will also give the movie credit for one thing, the concept appeared as if it was very interesting and unique. I don’t ride trains often, I mean, I love trains, I might even consider myself a railfan, I just don’t ride them much. Although I imagine a lot of people on trains are looking out the window and seeing what could be going on in the outside world. I doubt many people are as curious as Emily Blunt’s character, but I still imagine a chunk of people are curious to see what’s outside the window. I live near Boston, and I sometimes ride the MBTA Orange Line into Boston for one reason or another and I sometimes look out the window whenever I do, I don’t usually see as many homes as Rachel does in this movie, nor do I even see much scenery to rave about at all, but nevertheless looking out the window is a fun thing for me so that kind of made the overall concept more interesting.

I will say however, I was not a fan of the movie’s storytelling methods. This is a movie that makes you think a lot about what’s going on, now I’m not stupid, so I am capable of liking this. However it all just so slow that it almost feels like you’re going to school and you are sitting at your desk, wanting to fall asleep, all the while someone like Bill Lumbergh from “Office Space” is giving the dullest lecture imaginable. Speaking of unlikable storytelling, this movie had lots of flashbacks. I may have just had a headache from the dullness that is known as “The Girl on the Train”, but I can’t help but say that all of the movie’s cutaways and flashbacks didn’t grab me at all. You give a lot of crap for “Suicide Squad” having too many flashbacks? I think this movie had more, and based on my lack of attention I didn’t care about any of them.

How are the other actors in this movie? I’d say they were decent overall, I’m not the biggest fan of their characters, but the actors were fine. Haley Bennett did a nice job as Megan, Rebecca Ferguson as Anna wasn’t too shabby at all, I even think actors like Luke Evans and Justin Theroux did an adequate job as their characters. Based on what I’m saying, I do think the actors were probably one of the things that held the movie from being a complete disaster, but it’s not enough to make a good movie, or even an OK one.

In the end I was disappointed with “The Girl on the Train” and I say disappointed because from seeing the ads on TV for this film, I thought it looked like an engaging thriller. Was it a thriller? Well, sure, but not an engaging thriller. The movie’s overall concept, Emily Blunt’s performance, along with some others save the train from going off the rails, other than that, I have no other positives to say about this movie. I’m going to give “The Girl on the Train” a 2/10. After this snoozefest I hope the next movie I see will be better, and next weekend, I’m going to see “Sully”, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, which is based on the Miracle on the Hudson. Stay tuned for that review, along with other reviews coming soon. Scene Before is your click to the flicks!