Gone Girl

Built from Gillian Flynn's savvy, streamlined screen adaptation of her 2012 bestselling novel, director David Fincher's Hitchcockian thriller revolving around a married couple is full of bizarre twists and turns. Ben Affleck is totally convincing as bewildered Nick Dunne, whose beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), inexplicably disappears on the morning of their fifth anniversary. Seeking solace with his twin sister (Carrie Coon) with whom he owns a local bar, Nick grimly struggles to figure out what might have happened, along with Missouri Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens). All he knows is that he came home to find a smashed coffee table and his wife missing. As the dogged investigation proceeds, details about perfectionist Amy's past and the fragile state of her marriage to Nick are revealed—with everything pointing to his guilt—particularly after Amy's parents arrive from New York. As partners in this dark, tension-filled rumination on contemporary marriage, Affleck is amiably opaque, while Pike is inscrutably enigmatic. Tyler Perry scores as the slick defense attorney who takes Nick's case, coaching him on how to manipulate the media. And Neil Patrick Harris is solid as Amy's snide, suspiciously creepy ex-boyfriend. A mind-bending whodunit, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director David Fincher. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the companion spin-off 34-page satirical children's book “Amazing Amy: Tattle Tale” by Rand and Marybeth Elliott, and bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for this fine adaptation of Flynn's bestselling thriller.] (S. Granger)