The Girl on the Train
2021 · Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- thriller
The story
When a voyeuristic divorcee fixates on the lives of a perfect couple a far, she soon gets embroiled in a murder mystery that unfolds revealing truths about her own life.
What it’s like
Commuter-window framing gives this thriller its restless rhythm, with a passing train turning ordinary suburban homes into fleeting, half-glimpsed tableaux seen through rain-streaked glass. Its palette leans on cool, muted greys and blues, broken by warm interior lamplight in the windows the protagonist watches, so the images feel close and slightly voyeuristic. The score swells with sustained strings and pulsing low tones at each suspense beat, while quieter scenes rely on ambient room sound and the rattle of carriages. The overall vibe is unsettled and watchful, a mix of domestic melancholy and creeping paranoia, suited to a late evening with the lights low or a focused afternoon when you want tension without distraction. The emotional register moves between brittle self-reflection and mounting dread, and its central woman's arc follows a fragile, isolated figure slowly confronting what she has been avoiding about her own life. Violence is present, centred on the murder mystery, and it lands as jolting, sudden moments rather than lingering gore; the tension is the main intensity, with some emotional cruelty in the relationships. It is for viewers who enjoy a psychological thriller built on suspicion, unreliable perception, and a slow unravelling of secrets.
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