Mostly good

Rating: 7/10 (27 April 2019)

The film begins on the day of the fifth wedding anniversary of Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike), a not-so-happily married couple who live in a small town in Missouri . On that day, Amy is discovered to be missing after a home break-in. During the investigation, there is evidence that Nick might be responsible for Amy's disappearance.
For the most part, "Gone Girl" is superb as an edge-of-your-seat thriller. This is not surprising considering the director is David Fincher who did so well with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008) and especially with "The Social Network" (2010). His cast is very good. Affleck is great as the film's anchor; Pike shows superior skills in a way I won't mention here in order to avoid spoilers. The screenplay, by Gillian Flynn (based on her novel) has many fascinating twists and turns especially a plot device borrowed from the classic "Vertigo" (1958): bringing the audience up to speed midway through the movie.
While "Gone Girl" had the potential to be a great movie, it is sadly marred by an ending that is unsatisfying and disappointing. Fiction is allowed some distance from real life but this film takes too many liberties to the point of being far-fetched. Also, in the portrayal of the rushed presumption of guilt on men who are accused of mistreating women, the viewer is left with a biased lack of balance in this ongoing and necessary debate. - dbamateurcritic