Dark and Mesmerizing, "Gone Girl" is more than a "better lifetime film"

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2015)

Nick Dunne(Ben Affleck) returns home from "The Bar", a local pub owned by him and his sister, to find his wife Amy Elliot Dunne(Rossamund Pike) missing. As police investigation looks further into the case, Amy's disappearance becomes a country-wide issue when disturbing evidence begins to point towards her husband Nick. As more evidence rises against him, this once "perfect" man is now being seen as a disturbed sociopath as everyone asks him the ultimate question: Did you kill your wife?
In probably one of the most disturbing movies of tbe year, Gone Girl explores the definition of "marriage" and what leads to a corrupted one. Nick and Amy are seen as the perfect couple, picture-perfect and rich. However, this quickly changes. In the matter of 5 years, Nick and Amy become incompetent of maintaining this marriage as we see Nick unravel as an evil, lecherous man through Amy's eyes and thought.
Most people seem to judge the performances in this film, especially Ben Affleck's as Nick, but in my opinion, he did an amazing job of picturing Nick. His evasiveness towards Amy's disappearance, his naivety towards everything and most of all his arrogance/ignorance towards Amy. While I don't want to completely spoil Amy's character, I will say this: She is one of the most well crafted, and deceiving sociopaths ever created in film or literature. Her horrifying interpretation of revenge and marriage is disturbing yet fascinating at the same time.
While Gone Girl is most definitely not for everyone, it is truly an amazing film. It is dark, incredibly well acted, a faithful adaptation, and most of all, it try does deliver. Lifetime movie? I think not.
9/10