A perfect start to Oscar season.

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2014)

Gone Girl is directed by David Fincher and stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry among others. It's based on the 2012 hit novel by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay for the film), and follows Nick Dunne, a man whose wife suspiciously goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. Going into the theater, my heart was racing with excitement, and I had no doubt in my mind that this would be another fantastic hit from Fincher.
Gone Girl is one of the best films of 2014 and an excellent start to Oscar season. This movie is intense, dramatic, but also refreshingly hilarious and mildly self referential and never takes itself too seriously. Affleck is great, but Rosamund Pike is a show stealer, and I predict an Oscar nom. Tyler Perry is perfect for his role, and I know this guy has talent, and should do more films like this. My only flaw lies within the acting and that is the character of Desi, played by Neil Patrick Harris. Was he bad? No, but I found it very hard to see him as anything but Neil Patrick Harris, with all his mannerisms and such.
Gone Girl has twists left right and centre, so I was never bored during the 145 minute runtime. The dark, creepy tone is achieved by beautiful cinematography (as expected from Fincher) and the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is still disturbing me as I write this, five days later, and I am certain it's their best score for a Fincher flick yet. By the time the end credits rolled, I was provoked to think hard about how media and press can effect one's life, and I felt like I was almost a little more socially informed. With the creepiness of Zodiac, lively screenplay of The Social Network, and twists and turns alike to Se7en, Gone Girl is a feast of Fincher goodness and I implore you to see it.