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Now playing in theaters is The Help director Tate Taylor’s The Girl on the Train. Based on the Paula Hawkins novel of the same name, which has the distinction of being the fastest-selling adult novel in history, the film follows the story of Rachel (Emily Blunt), a lonely, alcoholic divorcee who uses her daily commute to fantasize about the seemingly perfect life of the couple—whom she dubs “Jason and Jess” (Luke Evans and Haley Bennett)—she glimpses every day when the train stops at the signal. One day, however, she sees something shocking during the train’s routine stop, and subsequently becomes entangled in a web of intrigue involving a missing woman. Scripted by Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary), the film also stars Allison Janney, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Edgar Ramirez, and Lisa Kudrow.

Last week in New York City I sat down with Haley Bennett for a wide-ranging interview. We talked about how she got involved in The Girl on the Train, how she owes Tate Taylor’s costume designer a big thank you, playing a role that is both emotionally and physically revealing, how she’s attracted to roles where people have experienced loss, how Terrence Malick changed the course of her life by writing a letter to Antoine Fuqua when she was in contention for The Equalizer, working with Warren Beatty Rules Don’t Apply, and a lot more. Check out the interview above and below is a list of what we talked about.

Hayley Bennett:

• What it’s been like promoting The Magnificent Seven and then The Girl on the Train?
• How Tate’s costume designer played a big part in helping her land the role.
• Talks about the casting process and if she was familiar with the book.
• How the role asks for her to show a lot of different emotions and is quite revealing.
• How she’s attracted to roles where people have experienced loss.
• How the nudity in the film isn’t sexual.
• What was her reaction to the finished film?
• What was it like working with Terrence Malick and does she know if she’s in the finished film?
• Reveals Malick changed the course of her life by writing a letter to Antoine Fuqua when she was in contention for The Equalizer.
• What was it like working with Warren Beatty on Rules Don’t Apply?

The Girl on the Train Synopsis and Images

Here’s the official synopsis for The Girl on the Train:

In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.