What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Girl on the Train
Tate Taylor · Film · 2016
If you loved The Girl on the Train, start with The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins, 2015) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Girl on the Train across media.
If you were captivated by the unreliable perspective in The Girl on the Train, you will love these gripping, dark psychological puzzles.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn · Book · 2012
Shares 3 threads with The Girl on the Train: Unreliable Narrator, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thriller.
Like The Girl on the Train, this novel masterfully utilizes an unreliable narrator to warp your perception of a crumbling marriage and the dark secrets hidden behind suburban facades.
The House Across the Lake
Riley Sager · Book
Shares 3 threads with The Girl on the Train: unreliable narrator, obsession, psychological thriller.
Much like the voyeuristic obsession that drives The Girl on the Train, this story pulls you into a neighbor's marriage where nothing is as perfect as it appears.
The Girls in the Garden
Lisa Jewell · Book
Shares a thread with The Girl on the Train: psychological thriller.
You will recognize the unsettling atmosphere of The Girl on the Train here, as neighborhood secrets and fragmented perspectives slowly reveal the disturbing truth behind a sudden tragedy.
The Woman in the Window
A. J. Finn · Book · 2018
Shares 3 threads with The Girl on the Train: Unreliable narrator, Obsession, Psychological Thriller.
This story mirrors the claustrophobic paranoia of The Girl on the Train, grounding its mystery in the eyes of an isolated narrator who sees something she should not have.
Series on the same thread
The Night Of
Richard Price · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with The Girl on the Train: Psychological Thriller.
The Girl on the Train explores the devastating consequences of a blurry memory, a theme that anchors this series as a man faces a murder charge he cannot explain.
Alias Grace
Sarah Polley · Series · 2017
Shares 2 threads with The Girl on the Train: Unreliable Narrator, Psychological Thriller.
If you were drawn to the way trauma shapes the narrative in The Girl on the Train, this story offers a similarly haunting look at memory and criminal guilt.
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Shares 2 threads with The Girl on the Train: Trauma, Psychological Thriller.
This series captures the same dark, existential dread found in The Girl on the Train, pairing fractured personal lives with an investigation that unearths deep, professional secrets.
The Affair
Sarah Treem · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with The Girl on the Train: Trauma.
The Girl on the Train relies on the messy, emotional fallout of infidelity, a theme this drama explores through shifting perspectives that force you to question who is lying.
Podcasts on the same thread
Crime Junkie
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with The Girl on the Train: obsession.
Fans of the obsessive investigative drive in The Girl on the Train will find their own curiosity mirrored in this podcast as it peels back layers of hidden truths.
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
The Girl on the Train thrives on shocking revelations and moral ambiguity, elements that define these short, cinematic stories designed to keep you guessing until the very last second.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Girl on the Train based on a book?
Yes, the 2016 film The Girl on the Train is an adaptation of the 2015 novel of the same name. Both versions follow the story of Rachel Watson, who becomes entangled in a mystery after witnessing a shocking event from her daily commuter train.
Who directed the 2016 film The Girl on the Train?
The 2016 film adaptation of The Girl on the Train was directed by Tate Taylor. The movie centers on Rachel Watson, a woman devastated by her recent divorce who fantasizes about a couple she observes from her train commute before witnessing a mystery unfold at their home.
What is the main plot of The Girl on the Train?
The Girl on the Train follows Rachel Watson, who is struggling with a recent divorce. During her daily commute, she fixates on a couple living in a house along the tracks. Her life changes when she sees something shocking at their home and becomes involved in the resulting mystery.
Should I read the book before watching The Girl on the Train?
You can choose to consume either the 2015 book or the 2016 film first. Both versions of The Girl on the Train detail the same story of Rachel Watson, a divorced woman who witnesses a mysterious event while commuting by train and subsequently becomes deeply entangled in the investigation.