Train Ride: Movie Review

We'll have to upfront. We never expected much from "Train Ride". But surprisingly, this two decade old film was rough but had a lot to say about the perils of the world. It the film encapsulates a time gone by while still feeling relevant twenty years after it was made.

Three college seniors get into serious trouble after one of them decides to experiment with a knockout "date rape" drug on a vulnerable freshman girl. Events quickly spiral out of control as they try to bury proof of their dirty deed while the freshman girl struggles to cope with what happened to her.

What was the world like two decades ago? It definitely wasn't the dark ages - we had computers and the internet - but it wasn't as accessible and rampant as today. So why are we ranting about technology in a movie review? Well, "Train Ride", even with its age, could easily fit in our timeline. The primary dilemma our characters face could easily happen today maybe even more so. Even without social media, gossip is still gossip in any form, and it is still powerful in its capacity to ruin lives even without the help of technology. "Train Ride" delves head first into date rape, depression, morality, and gossip. While the overall plot and story were just average (and felt more like a "made for television"), it wasn't afraid to tackle difficult issues with an unabashed attitude. The simplicity of the story also meant that it was easy to follow. If we're being honest, the acting, the script, and its cinematography were not its strongest points but the film finds a way to overcome these shortcomings with its material feeling deeper and substantial than it should have been.

Rating: 3 reels





Why you should watch it:
- the material still feels relevant even decades after its release

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- its narrative was simplistic and could have easily passed off as a TV-made release


"Train Ride" is now available on various VOD platforms.