Chris Luckett

Every few years, a literary thriller takes the world by storm, before then inevitably being turned into a movie.

Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, the latest of such runaway bestsellers, owed more than a bit of gratitude to Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s massive book from a few years ago.

The movie adaptation of Gone Girl was comprised of many brilliant facets but marred by a poorly conceived and written third act.

Tate Taylor’s adaptation of The Girl on the Train wants to be the next Gone Girl even more desperately than the book did, but flips the ratio of problems: it’s comprised of many dumb factors but almost saved by possibly the best performance of 2016.

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