8 Ways The Girl On The Train Is Just A Lazy Gone Girl

Allison Janney's Riley may be one of the worst screen detectives ever. She flounces about asking suspects vaguely accusative questions while missing key clues before taking all that info and throwing it away to start completely fresh tomorrow. When a concerned resident comes in, she says there isn’t enough evidence and tells the civilian to get more. Then, when her prime suspect comes into the station, she bullies her in the bathroom before letting her just walk away.

The film is so desperate to focus on its three women and their relationships that it has no real interest on the law enforcement, and only half-arsedly includes them because it’s impossible to avoid that they’d probably care a bit about a murder.

It’s unbelievable, and makes the whole situation wholly unreal. In contrast, Gone Girl used this constant presence to amplify the pressures on the chracters and underpin the themes being discussed.