MOVIE REVIEW: “Gone Girl” stars Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Rosamund Pike (Jack Reacher, Pride & Prejudice), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother [TV series], Starship Troopers), Tyler Perry (Vice, Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Carrie Coon (The Post, Avengers: Infinity War), Kim Dickens (Hollow Man, Deadwood [TV series]), Patrick Fugit (First Man, Almost Famous), David Clennon (Missing, Syriana), Lisa Banes (A Cure for Wellness, Young Guns), Missi Pyle (Galaxy Quest, The Artist), and Emily Ratajkowski (We Are Your Friends, I Feel Pretty). It is directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and written by Gillian Flynn (Widows, Sharp Objects [TV series]). Based on a novel, this film follows Nick Dunne (Affleck), who deals with media attention when his wife Amy (Pike) goes missing, to the point where his town begins to suspect that he had something to do with it.

David Fincher has been known to make gripping, films intense pictures throughout his lengthy career in Hollywood, so it came as no shock to witness something truly thrilling in his book-to-screen adaptation of “Gone Girl.” The movie sort of passed by me in 2014, but I certainly heard about it when it was making its theatrical rounds. I knew next to nothing about it, besides that inherent factor that there’s a girl and she’s gone; presumably, a man’s wife. It’s always fun to go into a film blind, and I’m glad I did in the case of “Gone Girl.” An unrelenting, highly engrossing experience, this feature boasts brilliant performances, solid cinematography, and a story that just spirals into something you wouldn’t imagine. The concept is simple: a man’s wife goes missing and there is speculation that he was behind it. This is called into question multiple times throughout the film, only coming to a head where you’d least expect it to, and offering results unimaginable. I was shocked to find how abysmal audience reviews for it were. Quite a bit of people were outraged by how this story progressed, but I’d say it’s extremely innovative. The writing style is unique, offering a mystery and form of dialogue that is fresh and layered. Right off the bat, you’ll notice when watching “Gone Girl” how it isn’t like anything else. The structure is non-linear, the mystery changes itself quite a few times, and, more importantly, the two lead characters are pretty complex. What I love most about “Gone Girl” is just how brutal it is in character development. There’s no archetypes here; no good guy, just sinful people being thrown into bad situations. It’s real life at its core, though the concept couldn’t be crazier. My mind was thrown for a loop quite a few times in this, primarily because no matter how we think we know a character, we truly don’t until the film’s end. People are complex, and “Gone Girl” takes this in stride. On top of that, it takes on the theme of marriage and facades in a drastic, different way. I won’t go into spoilers in case you haven’t seen it, but things get heavy, saddening, and just flat-out insane as time passes. As I’ve stated, the performances are phenomenal. Ben Affleck turns in a good role, though Rosamond Pike steals the show. My gosh, was this her best performance I’ve seen from her. She’s stellar, and the chemistry she has with Affleck is great. Fincher capitalizes on ambiguity and tense situations, and he certainly does a great job in evoking that through his actors and the camera. I won’t say “Gone Girl” is his best work, though. The ending left me a bit remorseful; not enough to detriment the entire experience, but enough to make me think… “why did he choose this ending?” I’m don’t champion happily ever afters, but man does the ending to this leave me wishing it was different. Even with that in mind, “Gone Girl” is an engaging, well-made watch that is recommend any mystery lover check out. FINAL SCORE: 92%= Juicy Popcorn

Here is the trailer: