Gone

Plot synopsis:
Jill Conway is a young Portland woman who lives with her sister, recovering alcoholic Molly. One year prior, Jill was kidnapped by a serial killer who abandoned her in a hole in the forest, where she found human remains. When her abductor descended into the hole to kill her, Jill was able to stab him with a bone and climb his rope and return to civilization. However, the police didn't find the hole and discovered that Jill had been committed to a psychiatric institution for several years after her parents' death. Believing that the abduction only happened in Jill's head, they closed the case.One day, after returning home from work at a local diner, where she and her friend Sharon Ames are generously tipped by a regular customer about to move out of town, Jill finds Molly gone and is unable to reach her boyfriend, Billy. Knowing that Molly wouldn't leave the house with Jill absent and that she had an important test the following day, Jill becomes convinced that the man who took her has now captured Molly and heads to the police station to ask for help, but Sargent Powers and Detective Erica Lonsdale dismiss her claims and promise to look into the case after a few days, but Jill claims it will be too late then. Before she leaves, newcomer Detective Peter Hood pulls her aside and tells her he believes her, giving Jill his card in case she needs help.Billy calls Jill and tells her that he hasn't heard from Molly, and that she didn't show up at the exam. Jill interrogates her neighbors and finds out a van with a locksmith's name parked in front of her house in the middle of the night and honked several times. Using the neighbors' description of the van, Jill finds the company it belongs to and heads there, where she questions the van's driver - who is also the company owner's son - about Molly's whereabouts. He claims to not know anything about it, and Jill feigns leaving in order to break into the van, where she finds a receipt for a hardware store and duct tape. She holds the driver at gunpoint and forces him to reveal that he allowed a stranger named "Digger" to rent the van the night before. Jill then leaves.The locksmith's son reports this to the police, and Lieutenant Ray Bozeman orders Powers and Lonsdale to capture Jill, as she is a liability and has no permission to carry a gun. Hood tries to convince Jill to meet with him so he can help her, but she believes it to be a set-up so Powers and Lonsdale can arrest her and refuses. Meanwhile, Jill goes to the hardware store and learns from the owner that Digger's staying at a local rundown apartment named "The Royal Hotel". Jill heads there and learns from a neighbour his name is Jim Lapointe and breaks into his apartment, where she finds more duct tape, pet food (which she was given by her kidnapper), and matches from the diner where she works, the Lucky Star.Jill visits Sharon and learns that Lapointe is the generous tipper from the night before. Sharon gives Jill his phone number and she leaves. On the way out, she's located by the police and chased to an alley, where she manages to escape and return to Sharon's house, where Sharon begrudgingly agrees to let Jill borrow her car. Jill then calls Lapointe, who confirms he's her abductor and implies he knows where Molly is. He orders her to go into Forest Park to find out the truth. Jill ignores the pleas of Powers and Lonsdale, who find her through Billy, and ventures into the woods, where she eventually finds the hole.Lapointe emerges from a small alcove he dug nearby and throws Jill inside the hole, intending to kill her with a knife he carved out of the piece of bone Jill used to escape, but she draws her gun and shoots him in the chest.Jill climbs back up and forces Lapointe to reveal that Molly was under their house the whole time, and he only used her to lure Jill into a trap. She then pours kerosene down the hole soaking Lapointe and throws a lantern left for her into the hole and burns Lapointe alive before returning to the city, where she reunites with Molly and tells her Lapointe is dead. Jill then lies to the police and tells them it was all in her imagination. They leave, and shortly thereafter, Jill sends an anonymous tip of where to find the hole, as well as pictures of Lapointe's victims that she had found near the hole. Bozeman calls Powers and tells him to re-open the case

Tags: revenge, violence, suspenseful, flashback

Review:
As the movie progresses, it is fascinating to watch the investigators grow more worried about Seyfried with a gun rather than a missing girl.
In the end, it is quite believable.If you are in need of a good thriller, this is the movie to see.
I think Gone is a film that is pretty much destined for bad reviews, which is a shame because I actually found it quite good, the story is about a girl who was abducted a year ago, but escaped her captor, she goes on living day to day life with the help of mess to deal with the trauma, that is until her captor comes back for her and takes her sister instead, a game of cat and mouse ensues and the viewer is taken on a fast paced cracking thrill ride.
Yes there are problems with Gone, for starters the script is slightly underwritten and some story lines are totally forgotten about, particularly some of the story lines surrounding the supporting characters, and it has a bit of a 90's b-grade thriller vibe to it, but for what it's worth it also has a lot of good things about it too.
The central performance by Amanda Seyfried is a good one, she is very convincing as the determined heroine of the story, the cinematography is very fitting to the story, the cold and damp setting of Portland is wonderfully captured by the camera, the pace is fast as a bullet, each scene is quick and doesn't drag on and it has some genuinely scary and tense scenes, particularly towards the end.Some reviews I have read say that Ananda Seyfried deserves better roles, yes she deserves great roles because she is a supremely talented young actress but I really don't see what's so bad about this role, it's a strong female character, I think people may only want to see her in romantic comedies and that's it.
Gone is a real middle ground kind of thriller, it's not a teen slasher and it's not a more mature adult thriller either, it kind of takes what's great about both types and combines them into a highly entertaining movie that will have you guessing tight until the very end.
My only criticism is just the abandoned story lines of the supporting characters, I dint know if it's lazy writing or what but for me I felt I was steered in a direction only to be left thinking, but all in all the movie is great, I would definitely watch it again.Give it a go, I hope you enjoy, Amanda Seyfried is wonderful.
Jill feels she cannot trust the police to help.At first I thought (and hoped) I would be seeing a female version of a Mel Gibson character who knows no boundaries when a family member is taken.
I don't understand why there are so many bad reviews for this movie...or maybe I do - heaven forbid a strong female character be the focus of a film where she doesn't need to be rescued..
Is it all in her head, is she delusional, did something really happen to her or is she completely "Gone"?This is played out throughout this competent Thriller as She believes that the source of her pain and suffering is back and has abducted her Sister.
Truth is that she is damaged and not really in complete control of her affliction and this lends a certain edginess to the Film as you never really know what She is going to do next, or what Lie She will fabricate, it seems at will, in a moments notice.Worth a look for Fans of this type of thing and those who like strong Females willing to go the distance even if it means facing your most frightening fears..
Came in to this not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised.The movie and Amanda do a very good job of making you question everything.
I would of liked to see her play with that a little more than she did.Well filmed, great acting and a good vision executed well.
I was also impressed by Amanda Seyfried's performance, she held her own and delivered on all aspects of what her character was suppose to give in telling this story.
Amanda Seyfried's performance was the highlight in this suspense thriller where her sister vanishes from her house, and she is certain that the sister was abducted by the same person who had abducted her a few years earlier.
She makes all the right moves in her "investigation," there are some good twists and turns, and it leads to a good showdown at the end.This movie was very suspenseful all around with an excellent performance in the lead and a good supporting cast.
This well-directed if thinly scripted thriller has more-than-adequate supporting performances by a good cast, but almost all are given little to do beyond providing the backdrop for Amanda Seyfried's Jill.
From what I've seen so far, I can just conclude that there are lots and lots of people who expect something totally unrealistic from their movie experiences, and when they don't get even-they-don't-know-what, they gripe all huffy and disgruntled and bring down the overall scores.Objectively seen, it's a tense psychological thriller, with Amanda Seyfried starring as a very intense, very watchable protagonist.
Here's the deal: GONE is an expertly crafted and calibrated serial killer thriller, the kind of genre movie that is usually undermined by bad acting and silly scripting.
This is a fast-paced movie that kept me guessing until the end about what was really going on, thanks to Amanda's terrific, edgy performance.
He came back for me, broke into my house and took my sister because I wasn't there." When Jill (Seyfried) comes home from work to help her sister study she finds her missing.
Amanda Seyfried was believable in this movie as a paranoid victim trying to prove she is right.
The story is about a teen girl that was abduct a year ago and escaped from his abductor and now her sister is gone and she believe that she is abducted from the same guy.The thing is that the police believe that the girl (Amanda Seyfried) is just crazy...
The waitress of a dining Jill (Amanda Seyfried) returns early in the morning and does not find her sister Molly (Emily Wickersham) at home.
"The Fugitive" is another great thriller, but in "Gone" the supporting roles are much less developed and the storyline comes with minor flaws and plot holes- but that's no bad thing: Thus Amanda Seyfried's character becomes the main driver, and You are lead to see things from her (maybe/maybe not)distorted viewpoint.
this movie would have been a clunker if it hadn't been for amanda seyfried, i mean she saved the whole movie.first off they shot this movie a little over saturated in color, which hasn't really been done in a serial killer, murder mystery and i think it totally works.
As it turned out, it was pretty good and definitely worth my movie watching time.
When a movie like this is decent with suspense throughout and makes you feel involved or shout at the tv screen (in my case) because the actor makes you feel her story is believable then surely this deserves some credit!?
It has a disappointing ending, characters that defy logic, police who have obviously never worked a case or arrested anybody before, and at one point, the ONLY way Amanda Seyfried could have escaped the cops was if she had had tele-porting powers...
With every minute that i watched that movie i wondered more and more how the main character hasn't died yet with all the bad decisions she makes.So overall, a great actress but a bombed script..
My favorite character is Jill played by Amanda Seyfried because she is very good at out smarting the ones around her and she is very clever.
Gone (2012) ** 1/2 (out of 4) After she returns home from work and notices her sister missing, a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) begins to fear that the serial killer who kidnapped her earlier has returned for her but taken the wrong person.
The police won't buy her story because they thought she made up her own kidnapping so the young woman sets out to find her sister and to stop the killer.
I will admit that I got caught up in the story but by the five-minute mark it's rather obvious that the filmmakers are just interested in appealing 15-year-olds and not really making a good movie.
The story itself is pretty interesting because not only do they try to uncover this mystery but there's a second story going on with Seyfried's character possibly just being insane and not realizing that the serial killer who kidnapped her might not have ever really happened.
Gone – CATCH IT (B-) Gone is story of a girl (Amanda Seyfried), whose sister gets kidnapped and she thinks the serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago is returned.
I look forward eagerly to watching anything else she has done.The pace is great, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.Highly recommended.(And I must say, it is SO nice to see a movie where the bad guy ISN'T chasing a moronic woman through the woods and she runs 30 steps and then falls down ...).
'GONE': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Routine run-of-the-mill murder mystery thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and filmed in Portland, Oregon.
Seyfried plays Jill Conway, a young woman who lives with her recovering alcoholic sister Molly (Emily Wickersham) in Portland.
Jill is convinced she's not crazy and will stop at nothing to rescue her sister.I do like that the movie keeps you guessing on whether there actually is a killer or if it's all in Jill's head.
The entire film follows the protagonist, rather than focusing equal part on serial killer, but it does not detract from the depth film at all, and actually helps the pacing.Future movies need to look to this as a reference for how to build fulfilling characters without compromising the intensity of the plot..
I do not think the current rating (5.7) does this film any justice, furthermore, why so many negative reviews?Seyfried does a wonderful job (her character comes out very natural, and she is definitely of an 'empowered female type'); the film is aesthetically pleasing, an eye-candy, if you will, especially if you watch it in HD (beautiful tonality and photography), and the tempo is neither too slow or fast, and the plot is pretty thrilling and suspenseful.
In fact, the character Seyfried played destroyed all clichés associated with the 'victim' role by demonstrating that a kidnap victim does not always have to be weak, troubled and demure kind, and that he/she can actually take control of things.So please, cut the film some slack, and take another look at the films that are being shown in the cinemas--a countless number of bad comedies, dull action films and remakes of the European cinema (how original)--compared to which Gone is actually pretty nice entertainment.
This film is not going to win any Oscars, but it is far from bad, in fact, I'd say this is one of the best recent thrillers with amazing acting from Seyfried..
The main thing I enjoyed about this film is the fact at no point watching it did I feel like the leading actress was doing something incredibly stupid.
People in search of the thriller are going to be bored.Amanda Seyfried (to put it mildly) is ill equipped for a role like this.
I loved the movie down to the last bit, no sex no nudity just full 100% thriller, must watch for young girls who believe in Girl Power..
You got the hot Amanda Seyfried in a thriller that is both suspenseful and engaging with a good plot that keeps you guessing till the end!
I kept wondering when something exciting was going to happen but it just never came to fruition.'Gone' was still a watchable movie with the charm of Seyfried but if you aren't her biggest fan, I'd give this a miss for you.
Amanda Seyfried Kidnapping/Abduction Movie - Absolute "PERFECTION".
03/12/2019 Seldom do I get to watch a really great movie with such a well laid out storyline, then have it acted out (in this case by Amanda Seyfried) as if I were watching something real.
***SPOILERS**** it's when her kid sister Molly Conway, Emily Wickersham, doesn't show up for a test she's to take at her collage Jill, Amanda Seyfried, feels that she's been kidnapped by the person who kidnapped her two years ago and held her hostage in a pit at the spacious, where no one can find her,Forest Park until she somehow escaped.
And Jill is now determined to not only have the local Portland police rescue Molly but catch her kidnapper before he does any more kidnapping and murdering young girls in the area.As you would expect no one believes Jill in that she's been diagnosed as being mentally unstable and suffering from hallucinations but that makes her even more determined to go on her own-Gun in hand- to find her sister before , like many of her kidnapper's victims, she ends up dead & buried.
The rest of the movie has the slight and barley 100 pound Jill doing a both Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" and Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" bit taking on all commers, good & bad, in order to find and save her sister Molly.
Maybe I did, about halfway through this film I thought that I was watching a good thriller, with twists and turns to come...but they didn't.
On paper, Brazilian director Heitor Dhalia's Hollywood feature debut in GONE sounds like a potential psychological thriller: Amanda Seyfried plays Jill, a former kidnapping victim who also previously institutionalized following the death of her parents.
So I'm very sorry for Amanda, but she has new projects so i hope for here, the next movie roles will be very great (as like in IN TIME that was screened over 10 weeks in Munich :)).
Gone After escaping from a serial killer, the first thing you should do is consult with your local gunsmith.Unfortunately, the survivor in this thriller went to her local police instead.Freed from captivity in the woods, where her kidnapper had kept her, Jill (Amanda Seyfried) contacts the authorities.But when the cops don't locate the hole where she was allegedly confined, and learn of Jill's previous mental issues, they surmise that she made everything up.A year later, Jill's sister disappears.
Then it was all nicely wrapped up at the end.You may have watched a million similar movies, but, if you think you might like the sound of this one, give it a go - you might be right (plus, Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Carpenter are in it - so maybe it's just one for the lads).http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/.
Developing these sister story lines, writer Allison Burnett weaves a good yarn, with director Heitor Dhalia and Seyfried handling their tasks well enough...The problem with "Gone" is that it takes too little advantage of its own intricacies.
The stupid writers let her get away.Most of the cast are good, but she ruins this film and they don't have a chance with Miss Bug Eyes.Whatever you do avoid any Amanda Siegfried movies..
in which the question is "Is the main character crazy?" Jill, the victim of a serial killer, managed to escape from a hole in a park a year ago.
It keeps you on edge much like a photo finish at a horse race.And, well...I guess you'll have to watch it to see which horse wins.Amanda Seyfried, I haven't seen much of your work (If I've seen any of it at all), but you did good here ;).
When Molly goes missing, Jill goes into a frenzy thinking she too has been abducted by the same guy, even though the MO appears to be different.Amanda is a bit flighty when she goes to the police with her 1 hour missing sister story.
Because there was no evidence from her last abduction...if fact it was contrary to her story, the police show reluctance to help Amanda, telling her to come back Monday if her sister is still missing.
I thought Amanda Seyfried did a really good job in this film!
Hmmm If it wasn't for Amanda Seyfried's charm and good looks, I could not imagine how anybody could make it through this movie.
A waitress named Jill (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her sister Molly (Emily Wickersham).
After watching the trailer, and even considering the level of some recent thrillers, I was expecting a little high from this movie.The first half is excellent, you are introduced to the lead character, you feel the emotions, Amanda Seyfried has done a great job, but then you are introduced to some useless characters, who I thought would be a major part of the plot, like Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley, and even Daniel Sunjata, he was there in a lot of scenes but didn't do nothing !!Ignoring everything I kept on watching, mind you, I believed through out the movie that this is going to be a good one, but then came the conclusion, we finally find out the villain.
This make the Portland Police look pretty bad after they send her packing.Credibility is the key to everything that occurs in "Gone," and you know that Jill is on the right trail when her missing sister still doesn't turn up.
*Sarcastic Spoilers Within*Off the bat lets say it, Gone is not a very bad movie, it has the requisite mystery elements, Amanda Seyfried makes for an engaging lead as the once kidnapped girl who nobody seems to believe, the cinematography (Michael Grady) is high quality and there's some decent moments of chills along the way.