The Girl on The Train is about to hit theaters with a big bang, putting an end to young adult dystopian book adaptations.

By Jolene Gina

The Girl on The Train is set to be a box-office hit after its record-breaking novel and may well signify the end of teenagers saving the world from an evil, well-dressed dictator.

 

The film, adapted from cult favorite book of the same title by Paula Hawkins, will first hit the cinemas this September and sing a similar tune as its sister novel-turned-blockbuster Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The film is carrying a heavy cargo of expectations, given the fact that the novel topped the United Kingdom’s hardback chart for 20 weeks.

 

The film follows unemployed alcoholic Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), who obsesses over a seemingly perfect couple, Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott (Luke Evans), while on her commute. The façade is broken when Rachel is thrown into an investigation involving Megan, who goes missing and is then murdered.

Haley Bennett as Megan, who goes missing and is then murdered
Haley Bennett as Megan, who goes missing and is then murdered

 

Helming the film is director Tate Taylor (The Help) with screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson  (Secretary).

 

The eerie trailer is set against a haunting rendition of Kanye West’s Heartless, which amplifies the swiftly switching scenes that readers of the book might find resonates with Rachel’s constant state of intoxication and memory loss.

 

While fans of the book have complained about the shift in the location from the United Kingdom to the United States, what truly caught many off-guard is the casting of Blunt, whose slim silhouette and aristocratic features did not seem to fit into the book’s description of Rachel as “overweight”.

 

However, loyal fans can take heart in the fact that Blunt is retaining her British accent despite the change in setting.

 

The versatile actress, who has roles ranging from thrillers like The Edge of Tomorrow to comedies like The Five-Year Engagement, said to entertainment site Deadline: “The idea of playing a part like that where you just feel like you’re drowning is exciting.”

Emily Blunt plays unemployed alcoholic Rachel in the adaptation of The Girl on the Train
Emily Blunt plays unemployed alcoholic Rachel in the adaptation of The Girl on the Train

 

This rising trend of thrillers and mysteries, among similar dramatic thrillers such as The Revenant (2015), Everest (2015) and Colonia (2015) may well signify the temporary end of the dystopian film genre that soared after favorites like The Hunger Games (2012) and Divergent (2014).

 

“There’s something about the state of seeing a world outside your comfort zone that makes the curious youth wonder about how they would survive in that condition,” said Chang Qi Feng, 19, a student from Singapore Polytechnic, about why dystopian genres appeal to young adults.

 

Lois Lowry’s 1993 award-winning novel, The Giver, was said to have ignited the flame of young adult dystopian fiction, yet it under-performed on the silver screen in 2014. Lowry had said to entertainment site Salon: “It was a trend and it’s ending now.”

 

“A dystopian setting is giving way to edge-of-the-seat dramas that joins the modern resurgence of dramatic thrillers in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on A Train,” said V. Dhanraj, 19, a student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

 

While this might be the end of the end of the world, it may just be a chilling, long-awaited beginning to the rise of drama-thrillers. Settle in, because this train ride is about to get bumpy.

 

The Girl on The Train will hit Singapore Cinemas at Oct 6.

 

Meantime, check out the latest trailer for The Girl on The Train:

 

https://youtu.be/y5yk-HGqKmM