First Look at "Gone Girl": It’s No Run-of-the-Mill Thriller

Michelle Douvris ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Editor

Gone Girl is shaping up to be one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, and with good reason. For one, it’s adapted from Gillian Flynn’s wildly popular best-selling novel of the same name. It’s also being brought to life by some top-notch talent: award-winning director David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network), leading man Ben Affleck (who directed the critically acclaimed Argo and is now gearing up to play Batman) Rosamund Pike, and an eclectic supporting cast including Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.  As we get our first real glimpse at the movie in its just-released teaser trailer, it’s easy to tell that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill thriller.
The main storyline of Gone Girl is fairly simple. Nick and Amy Dunne live a charmed life together, up until the day of their fifth wedding anniversary when Amy disappears. Nick begins searching for his wife with a team of detectives and police officers, but the media coverage of Amy’s disappearance starts to run rampant and Nick is being painted in an unflatteringly suspicious light. Soon, the nation believes that Nick is responsible for murdering his wife. This may sound like a typical mystery with a predictable ending, but it’s far from it. Even better, Gillian Flynn has worked on the screenplay and shared that she has crafted a brand new ending for the film. Fans of the book will be just as surprised as newcomers when the events unfold before them this October.
In the 90-second spot, Fincher shows off some of his trademark elements, including stylized lighting, a heavy use of shadows, and eerily appropriate music. The brief montage doesn’t give away too much, but sets up the story and shows Nick’s struggle to maintain his sanity as his life unravels into madness. Given the book’s strikingly dark tone, Fincher was clearly a perfect man for the job. Affleck also shows promise in his role as Nick, and it seems that he and Pike have a natural chemistry that lends to a hauntingly complex portrayal of the Dunnes’ marital dynamic.
Gone Girl seems to be positioned to be one of those rare critically acclaimed money-makers, so it will be interesting to see whether it will be a formidable contender on the box office charts as well as during the next award season. But until then, be sure to pick up the book. As soon as you open up to the first page, you’re a goner.
Gone Girl hits theaters October 3^rd.

Watch The Trailer: