6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A divorcee sees something shocking happen from her daily commute and becomes entangled in a mystery that unfolds.
Starring: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke EvansMystery | 100% |
Thriller | 84% |
Psychological thriller | 72% |
Melodrama | 34% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS:X
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS Headphone:X
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
Portuguese: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Reading the book on which a movie is based before (or after) watching said movie almost invariably leads to disappointment with the movie in some form or fashion. Very few manage to tell the story as it was laid out in the source novel, never mind enjoy the character intricacies, narrative depth, and creativity the written word usually affords the material in question. The Girl on the Train is no exception. Author Paula Hawkins' worldwide bestseller might not have been the peak of fiction -- an intriguing premise, a solidly constructed lead character, slow-drip reveals, and a few twists all lead up to a fairly hackneyed ending -- but it made for a solid read, one of those "up all night" sorts that yields sleepy eyes and a Nook in need of a charge the next morning. The story's structure didn't appear to make for an easy transition to film. Much of the book, and early on in particular, is devoid of dialogue; it's exposition and exploration by way of the lead character's thoughts and personal deterioration, exploring her sob story contrasted against a sordid murder-mystery in which she finds herself caught in the middle, mostly by her own doing but understandably given her real and imagined intimacy to a few of the primary characters involved. The movie, directed by Tate Taylor (The Help), doesn't capture the novel's energy and intrigue to the same level. It's a fine translation in the cruder senses and sticks fairly close to the book in terms of basic maneuvers and how the plot unfolds, but coming in at about 110 minutes it just can't find that same inner depth and detail that blossoms on the page.
Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
The Girl on the Train was photographed on film but reportedly finished at 2K. This 2160p/HDR-enhanced 4K upscale
looks
fine, though simply
viewing it without performing a direct comparison with the Blu-ray didn't result in any kind of immediately
perceptible jump in quality, at least going by
recent memory alone. On comparison, though, the UHD appears substantially darker, the UHD's defining quality. The HDR-enhanced colors result in
deep skin tones and the
darker filtering gives the movie something of a more sinister underpinning. Would-be brighter colors are certainly significantly less vibrant. The
movie's climax, which takes place outside and in the daylight, looks entirely different with greens held much more in reserve and a splotch of blood
against a lighter surface (look at the 1:42:48 mark) much more reduced in punch and vibrancy. Details tend to look a bit more firm on the UHD,
though not by any significant margin and usually only really obvious in close-up; the darker contrast
doesn't necessarily eat or eliminate fine detail but
it's not as noticeable an increase at medium distance as it is in any of the film's up-tight close-ups that showcase pores and other skin details with a
firmer, though not substantially so, level of intimate texturing (see Megan's face at the beginning of chapter two). Black levels, however, appear a
little
less deep, pushing mildly bright where the Blu-ray
holds much firmer (1:33:56). Technically, it's fine. Visually, it can be argued that the Blu-ray looks "better" for its more robust color palette, though
the
UHD does give what is a tonally dark movie that much more visual support.
The Girl on the Train features a DTS:X soundtrack, though its overhead engagement, even as mere support pieces, is minimal at best. Indeed, the track never really differentiates itself from a more basically structured 7.1 mix, favoring the basic 7.1 layout but delivering a couple of very minor, at best, additional bits of overhead bonus into the stage. General qualities are terrific. Music is fully engaged around the stage, emoting with plenty of clarity, width across the front, and wrap into the rears. The film opens with lightly identifiable train sounds that grow in proximity, volume, placement in the stage, and clarity, until a sudden rush of the familiar rattling sound enters the stage, complete with a positive low end support and fine sense of movement. Atmospherics are nicely engaged throughout as the opportunities arise; a busy restaurant in chapter four, a light fall breeze in chapter nine, and woodland ambience in chapter 18 are all pleasantly rich and realistic in stage saturation and placing the listener in the middle of the locations. Dialogue is the main factor in the movie, however, and it's unsurprisingly clear and precise, playing from the front-center and always properly prioritized over surrounding elements.
Universal's UHD release of The Girl on the Train contains all of its supplemental content on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc (identical to the
standalone 1080p release) but does carry over the Tate Taylor audio commentary track. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.
The Girl on the Train takes a fairly intriguing and well-structured book and turns it into a fairly bland Thriller that gets its broad strokes right but can't find a way to translate the much more intimate character details and careful story unfolding the written word affords the source. Both book and film stumble through a dull and trite climax that betrays all the good stuff to come before, more in the book and less the movie. Performances are fine, though even as lead Emily Blunt captures Rachel's essence, she doesn't seem to have the right look or the perfect grasp of the characters' deepest sunken depths. Universal's UHD/HDR presentation is fine, though more a lateral than an upward movement for the overall quality. Tonally, it's different, and arguably in a good way. Texturally, it's hard to distinguish beyond the most intimate of close-ups. Audio is great (even if it doesn't make much use of the overhead channels), and the release features a basic array of bonus content. Those who have not read the book might find the movie slightly more appealing, but there's no mistaking it as a basic Thriller without much to offer beyond crude plot and character maneuverings. Worth a look, and for those scoring at home: movie 2.5/5.0, book 3.5/5.0 and a bit higher for everything before the final few pages.
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