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Trains have been a part of pop culture since its invention, especially film. Here at FreightWaves, some of our favorite films are about rail or take place on trains. This is a list of our favorite train movies, in no particular order.
“Murder on the Orient Express”
If the cast of 1974’s “Murder on the Orient Express” — including names such as Connery, Redgrave, Bacall, Gielgud, Bergman and Widmark, among others — doesn’t excite you, by all means skip this Agatha Christie classic. For the remaining 99.99999% of humanity, get whole rooms full of popcorn ready as you join Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) on a quest to unmask a killer on board a snowbound train. Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh spare no effort to make the 2017 remake palatable. But the one-man wrecking crew that is Johnny Depp foils them. — Steve Barrett
“Strangers on a Train”
This 1951 thriller, based on the novel of the same name, is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies. It centers around, you guessed it, strangers on a train — one a tennis star jilted by his cheating wife, the other a wealthy man who is angry with his father. While on the train, the two hatch a plan to trade murders so neither could be caught. “Your wife, my father. Crisscross?.” Keep your eyes peeled during this film — like many of his other projects, Hitchcock makes a brief cameo. Can you spot him? — Meg Scarbrough
“Throw Mama From the Train”
Did you know this 1987 dark comedy is a remake of sorts? Indeed it is. In fact, it is a reimagining of the classic we just talked about above. The film, directed by and starring Danny DeVito with costar Billy Crystal, centers around Larry (Crystal), a struggling novelist who has become consumed by anger toward his ex-wife after she steals one of his manuscripts and subsequently becomes famous — and wealthy. Larry tries to make ends meet by teaching a writing class at a local college. That’s where he meets student Owen (DeVito). Like Larry, Owen is dominated by a large force in his life: Mama, a demanding and mean old woman. Before too long, the men conspire to kill for each other. Buckle up for this hilarious ride. — Meg Scarbrough
“The Cassandra Crossing”
A train carrying a deadly plague and a surly terrorist makes its merry way toward a European gorge crossing that gives new meaning to the term “metal fatigue.” Even Martin Sheen can’t drag down this spunky 1976 Sophia Loren/Burt Lancaster vehicle. — Steve Barrett
![The Cassandra Crossing (1976) Original Trailer [FHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FrYKtN_BmnM/hqdefault.jpg)
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
No explanation needed for this hilarious 1987 Thanksgiving comedy starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy. Instead, here are some of the best quotes:
Police officer: “Do you have any idea how fast you were going?”
Del: “Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer is melted, and as a result, it’s very hard to say with any degree of accuracy exactly how … uh … fast we were going.”
Owen: “Get your lazy behind out here and put that in back.”
Neil: “Oh, no, no. We’ve got it.”
Del: “It’s very heavy.”
Owen: “She don’t mind. She’s short and skinny, but she’s strong. Her first baby come out sideways. She didn’t scream or nothin’.”
Del: “Isn’t that something? You’re a real trouper.”
Neil: “Del.”
Del: “Huh?”
Neil: “Why did you kiss my ear?”
Del: “Why are you holding my hand?”
Neil: “Where’s your other hand?”
Del: “Between two pillows.”
Neil: “Those aren’t pillows!”
— Meg Scarbrough
“Snowpiercer”
Get past the silly premise — an icy, post-apocalyptic world whose lone survivors are the alternately oppressed and privileged denizens of a ridiculously long train that keeps making a loop on an equally ridiculously long track around the world — and you can squeeze some enjoyment out of this 2013 film. Tilda Swinton, she of former White Witch fame in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’s” frozen Narnia-scape, fits right into this icebox of a movie, and her character hasn’t much changed. The corresponding TV series that started in 2020 doesn’t maintain the intensity of the film, mainly because it’s a TV series. Then again, it does have Jennifer Connelly, so it can’t be all bad. — Steve Barrett.
Do you have a favorite train movie? Tell us in the comments below.
FreightWaves Classics articles look at various aspects of the transportation industry’s history. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter!