Former writer Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) come off as a couple with the perfect marriage. Suddenly, Amy goes missing and skeptical eyes start to point the finger at Nick. As investigators and media dive deeper into their lives it becomes quite apparent that not everything was as great as it seemed. As we go deeper and deeper into the lives of Nick and Amy we start to question who is who and what is what. Truly an amazing thrill ride with a lot of mystery.
Before Ben Affleck decided to fuck up Batman he actually had some good movies. He’s had a few really good movies… and this is one of them. Gone Girl is a movie that has more ups and downs, twists and turns than most movies who claim the ‘Thriller’ or ‘Mystery’ genre. The amount of surprises are impressive, but even more so considering the realism of them. A lot of times when we think of twists and turns it comes from a movie that may be one step from reality. Doing so allows the writers and directors to bend the laws of what we consider normal. Or, there’s the classic escape of backing distortion with psychological illness. “Oh well he was actually just a clinically insane fucking lunatic who was seeing shit.”
That’s not what we get in Gone Girl. We get a mystery that sadly occurs in real life. A spouse suddenly goes missing. When looking into it you always end up finding some dirt that makes you question if the other is involved. You surely hope not, but it’s hard to turn a blind eye to possibly the only other person that knows the missing person’s deepest darkest secrets. The thrills are shocking, but logical. You’re going, “Holy shit, that’s crazy!
” rather than “Fuck that, there’s no way…” That’s what makes this a really great movie.
They also do a great job of disguising the twists and turns. There are some movies that in their lead up to the big twist give too much away. You know that something is coming and exactly when it will happen. Or you have an idea of who is involved or what actually occurred. You may have an idea already of what the motive or intention was. In this movie, I really don’t think that’s the case. Each twist is carefully planned as to not really give anything away at all. Something happens and you’re just sitting there with your jaw in your lap. It’s getting blindsided by greatness, I love it.
The acting in the movie is phenomenal. Ben does a great job of making you question his character, Nick Dunne. You go back and forth on whether he’s a good guy in a bad situation or if he’s a dick head who probably deserves it. You pity him and then want to spit in his face in a blink of an eye. Rosamund Pike, Amy, also does an amazing job. The more you watch her and see her operate the more you question what she’s all about. She’s a tough cookie to crack… as every elderly person says.
One of the greatest visual aspects to the movie is the setting in which the movie takes place. The couple lived in a small town in Missouri. You need a small town when considering something like this. Not that people don’t get taken in big cities, it actually is probably more common. But the media frenzy that ensues is quite different. In a big city where crime is more prevalent, not everything gets its air time. However, in a small town, one crime like this takes over the news for months and months… probably even years. The setting and scenery throughout the movie gives you this feel. It helps you understand why this is such a massive deal. It helps you understand why when Nick becomes a suspect, it feels like everyone hates him… because everyone does fucking hate him.
I’m very up and down on Ben Affleck because his movies are very up and down. However, Gone Girl is a home run. Dive into a modern day thriller that has a twist and turn just when you think there could be no more twists and turns. Make sure your jaw is fashioned on, because it is sure to drop.
Rating: Boner Patrol! 
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