Prepare for a scorching crime thriller that cuts through lies and pretence to the unsavoury secrets at the heart of a very modern marriage, writes Matt Adcock.
Directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl has been written for the screen by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the best-selling novel, and it’s awesomely dark.
The plot revolves around Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) who on his 5th wedding anniversary reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. But things quickly start to look dodgy for Nick as clues come to light that paint him as not just a potential suspect, but the main one.
Under pressure from the police and growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful relationship begins to crumble. His deceits and slightly unexpected behaviour have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne actually kill his wife?
Affleck and Pike deliver fascinatingly watchable performances that demand your attention for the whole of the two-and-a-half hour running time. The plot (which it would be a crime to spoil for you) jumps back and forth with clever flashbacks and truly unnerving twists. Your allegiance will be cleverly manipulated several times before the credits role. There are some strong supporting roles from Neil Patrick Harris as Amy’s deranged, seriously wealthy first boyfriend, the lovely Emily Ratajkowski and Tyler Perry as Nick’s hotshot lawyer.
Fincher is a master filmmaker and Gone Girl is a classy addition to his cannon of work. Everything is meticulously presented, and a superb sense of unease and creeping dread drips from the screen.
The 18 rating is due mostly to one incredibly violent scene which brought gasps of shock from the audience I caught this with, but overall this is such an incredible ‘did-he-do-it-or-not?’ that even squeamish crime-lovers should put this on their must- see list.
If you’re married, Gone Girl may well make you look at your partner in a very different way. The questions of just ‘how do you know what someone else is thinking, planning, scheming?’ will echo around your head after witnessing this twisted tale.