Did not see it coming

Rating: Null/10 (31 January 2017)

Nick and Amy Dunne, two struggling writers slash journalists, used to be madly in love. Theirs was a dream marriage, two soulmates who had found one another. In their own words they were so cute you wanted to punch them. But that was in the past. Then Nick's mother got sick and they had to move back to his home town in the middle of nowhere. Now Nick owns a bar bought with her money, she's a loner in the neighbourhood and their relationship has gotten progressively worse. And then she disappears on their anniversary and he becomes the main suspect.
Gone Girl was directed by the legendary David Fincher, the man behind Se7en and Fight Club, and it shows. He has moved from the have-nots of the society to the haves, but it's still very clearly his style and skill behind the camera. Every scene is filled with meaning and every scene has tension behind it. Almost like there's always something just behind the counter. You're constantly expecting the pin to fall, for something to go for your throat, for something to happen. And for a psychological thriller, that's a great feeling. And the film in no way disappoints. I absolutely don't want to spoil the plot to you, but trust me when I say that it's going to take you for a ride. There are so many rug pulls in this movie that it'll leave you spinning.
That being said, I do think that the first third of the film is a bit tedious. You get to know the people involved, there's some backstory told well enough and the initial setup is revealed, but the movie really takes off only after the twist at the start of the second act. Before that you're always wondering where the film is going and whether something is going to happen, but not in a good way. It keeps you waiting too long. It doesn't ruin the film, but it definitely tests your patience.
Still, the second act more than makes up for it, leaving us with a great if perhaps a tad flawed film from Fincher. Not his best film by any means, but definitely worth a watch for all his fans.