By: Joshua Martin
David Fincher has made some of the most thrilling and shocking films of our time, so when he decided to tackle Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel Gone Girl, people were undeniably excited. It seemed like a perfect match for the director who has overseen the production of dark thrillers and character studies like Fight Club, Seven and Zodiac in the past. Mix that in with a screenplay by the book’s author and a cast led by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, you’ve got a movie that cinephiles were chomping at the bit to see. Frankly, I can’t see a single one of the eager movie lovers being disappointed. Gone Girl is one of the best films of the year, if not the best. A dark, hauntingly brilliant film with twisted satire thrown in for good measure, Gone Girl is deliciously entertaining and addictive. It’s a film that will grab you and never let you go. Fincher knocked this one out of the park.
Nick Dunne (Affleck) wakes up on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary. He drives off to get coffee and then heads over to the bar that he co-owns with his sister, Margo (Carrie Coon). Nick returns home to find a glass table broken and his wife gone. Nick is concerned and immediately calls the police. Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Officer Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit) are assigned to the case and instantly suspect Nick. Things just don’t add up and everyone seems to be hiding something. The media jumps on the case with furious, Nancy Grace-esque journalist Ellen Abbott (Missi Pyle) leading the charge. Nick’s life becomes a circus and he finds himself at the center of the most hotly-debated crime case in America.
Gone Girl is a tough movie not to spoil, but in all honesty, it’s a movie that can’t be spoiled. This is an absolutely terrific thriller. Darkly addictive, acidic, biting, satirical, disturbing, invigorating- these are all adjectives that describe Fincher’s masterwork. He controls this film so tightly and adapts Gillian Flynn’s script perfectly for the big screen. Affleck is solid as Nick and Pike gives a mesmerizing performance as Amy Dunne. In the process, Pike creates one of the most memorable characters in recent memory. The cinematography is also stunning and the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is flat-out awesome. This pitch-perfect film is one of the best in recent memory and a great time at the movies. THE FINAL GRADE: A+ (10/10)
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