WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ– “The simplest answer is often the correct one.” A common phrase, widely accepted for its simplicity and applicability. In the 
highly anticipated film Gone Girl, based on the New York Times Bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn, one may think that the answers to all of the questions that the film raises can be placed into a box and wrapped up nicely. However, what makes a thriller effective in the film industry is seeing some loose ends, never really knowing if the characters will ever be able to tie them up and get their “happy ending.”
Gone Girl is an intricate drama that cannot be explained unless done carefully, in order to avoid spoiling the secrets that lie within the relationship of the seemingly normal married couple featured in the film. Directed by David Fincher, the mystery of the disappearance of Nick Dunne’s wife, Amy, played by Rosamund Pike, raises questions among the couple’s small town in Missouri, as detectives and police try to configure the clues that they discover as they investigate this chilling event. Ben Affleck, who has also stared in widely known films such as Good Will Hunting and Argo, portrays Nick Dunne who seems to be an ordinary husband distraught by the disappearance of his wife until nation television gets a hold of the story and starts questioning whether Nick played a significant role in his wife’s sudden vanishing. Allegations start to be made until the entire country starts to believe that Nick may have murdered his own wife. All of this occurs in the very early stages of the film so no secrets are given away; this is only the beginning of what is to come as the story of Amy’s disappearance unravels.
With other stellar performances by Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris, each character plays a significant role in the film and adds to the plots many twists and turns. This is not your typical thriller where evidence aids the police in the attempt to frame a suspect for murder; how do you charge a man with murder without a body? This exact question is debated by police in the film which allows the director to keep the audience on the same side of the spectrum as the investigators. The best way to keep an audience enthralled in a story is to never let them know more than the characters, and David Fincher does an impeccable job with creating a film that is as unpredictable as it is shocking.
Precise editing and various cinematic techniques are crucial in a movie such as Gone Girl and they are delivered with precision as the story continues to take turns down a never-ending path of discoveries and deception. Although it is not a horror film, the editing methods used mirror that of classic horror films. Audiences may get more than they bargained for as various scenes reveal themselves to be more terrifying than mysterious. For example, the film team in Gone Girl knew used jump cuts effectively and in a way that enhanced the overall mood of this dark, cryptic film. Maintaining this mood, the cinematography never allows any scenes to appear too bright, as the lighting is kept at a minimum in most of the sequences to reflect the tone of the film.
For any viewer who has not read the novel, this film can stand alone as a thriller without having to be compared with the book which it is based on. One does not have to have read the novel to fully enjoy the performances and appreciate the unique direction in which the film goes. It does not come off as a film that is relying so much on the script of the novel, which is what makes it great to watch. Gone Girl will continue to be talked about come Oscar season if the consensus from the critics stays consistent to current popular opinion.
Although audiences looking for the perfect “date movie” may decide to stray away from this film, they may want to rethink their opinions because this is one movie that will make you think, “Do I really know the people around me?” When audiences walk into the theater to see this movie, what they expected may not necessarily be what they get. So, is the simplest answer really often the correct one or is there always something deeper than what is on the surface? Gone Girl is sure to make you question this aspect of any mystery one encounters after experiencing this film.
