The Commuter - Film Review

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by Samantha Jeffree (subscribe)

I'm a mother, wife, writer and online store owner. I've lived in the southern suburbs of Adelaide all my life.

Published January 25th 2018

His life is on the line

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What kind of person are you?

The question seems simple, safe, innocent. At first...

Set almost entirely on a train, The Commuter starts off telling the story of an average traveller. A man who catches the train every day, like many of us do.

Michael MacCauley (played by Liam Neeson) finds his world is turned upside down when he's suddenly let go from his job as an insurance salesman at age sixty. Frustrated and hesitant to tell his wife, Michael heads home on the same train he does every night.

Only this isn't an average night.

When Joanna (played by Vera Farmiga) starts a conversation, Michael soon learns her intentions aren't as they first appeared. He must find a person on the train who 'doesn't belong' before the end of the line or risk the lives of his family.

What follows is action, drama and a little humour.

If you're a fan of Neeson's, it's hard to miss the similarities between The Commuter and movies Neeson has previously worked on with Spanish Director Jaune Collet-Serra.

Despite the striking resemblances in places to these movies including Non-Stop and Unknown, The Commuter is still an action-packed, well-choreographed movie that leaves you wondering what you would do in MacCauley's (Neeson) place.

The Commuter might not win any big awards, but it's a great Friday night movie. The characters are sometimes a little hard to keep track of (ha! see what I did there? Track - train? Anyway...) but are entertaining, engaging and mostly real.

The Commuter is in cinemas now and definitely worth seeing.

Now the question you have to as yourself... what kind of person are you?