Parents' Guide to

The Girl on the Train

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Taut book-based thriller has drinking, violence, sex.

Movie R 2016 112 minutes
The Girl on the Train Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 16+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Goodforumkvies
Goodforumkvies Parent of 11-year-old
March 26, 2022
age 16+

Very Good Thriller better for older teens and over.

There is intense violence so expect Murderer, Bloody Corpses, Punching, slamming, Throwing things against walls, on the floor, etc. References to Homicide and Suicide. There's also some frequent/strong language during these scares(F--k and S--t are mostly used), Plus some sex (in bed, in a shower, in a forest, etc.) and the main character is an alcohol addict and drinks it to excess.
Snow27
Snow27 Parent of 10, 12 and 16-year-old
May 31, 2018
age 18+

Domestic violence, emotional abuse, too graphic for a 15 rating

I found the themes of domestic violence and emotional and physical abuse were portrayed too graphically for a 15 rated film. Sex was portrayed as violent and loveless. The film also deals with alcoholism (portraying the negative consequences effectively). There’s a lot of bad language. This is not a film for children under 18.
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, Rachel (Emily Blunt) is a serious alcoholic who's fixated on her ex-husband (Justin Theroux), his new wife (Rebecca Ferguson), their baby, and their seemingly perfect life. Every day Rachel rides the train right past her old home -- now their home -- intently looking for clues about the life she's missing out on. She's also become fixated on a couple that lives a few doors down. They seem just as happy together, until one day the wife (Haley Bennett) goes missing, and Rachel wakes up covered in blood, with no recollection of what she did the night before.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (19 ):

This thriller is atmospheric and suspenseful, like the best-selling Paula Hawkins novel it's based on. And it has a strong star in Blunt, who carries the weight of Rachel's alcohol dependency, an awful cocktail mixed with grief and self-hatred. But the film lacks heft. It captures the escape that voyeurism provides -- who among us hasn't looked into apartments, cars, or, yes, trains as they pass by, wondering about the lives of the people in them? But its heroes and villains are painted with a one-dimensional brush, either evil and angry, icy (usually the female characters), or simply a big hot mess. (This might explain the unintended audience laughs at inopportune moments.)

It almost feels like a lot of The Girl on the Train's potential was left on the cutting room floor, taken out for brevity or simplicity. But characters like these deserve complex treatment. And audiences need more than just the (expected) twist in the end if you want to leave them puzzling over a movie after the credits roll. What we get instead is an interesting enough, creepy enough experience, but with a healthy dash of "seen this before."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Girl on the Train depicts drinking. Is it glamorized? Are the consequences realistic? Why does that matter?

  • How does the violence in this movie compare to what you've seen in other thrillers and/or horror movies? Do some kinds of violence have more impact than others?

  • How does Rachel demonstrate empathy for the woman she fixates on? Does that make her a more appealing/sympathetic character? Are we intended to like her?

  • If you've read the book: How closely does the film follow it? What's different? Why do you think the filmmakers decided to make those changes?

  • What do you think about the way couples are portrayed in the film? Can you ever really know what someone else's relationship is really like in private?

Movie Details

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