Gone Girl (2014)

From Netflix:

Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, this unsettling thriller follows the mercurial Nick Dunne, who finds himself dogged by police and caught in a media maelstrom after he becomes the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.

Even though I had already read Gillian Flynn’s novel (in an e-book that contains her first three novels) awhile back, in fact long enough to forget all the marvelously designed details, the film is just as tense and scary. Thankfully the film stays close to the book. For me, however, one sad exception is that in the book Nick’s last words to Amy are outstandingly appropriate, but the movie does not use those words. Hint: read the book instead.

Watching Rosamund Pike (as Amazing Amy) lie so cleverly (with the superb acting to match the lies) is to see a cracker-jack job of meta-acting (does that sense?). In other words she is the perfect sociopath.

Lo and behold Doogie Howser, aka Neil Patrick Harris, plays Amy’s former sweetheart Desi Collins. His part did not require much effort.

In case you seem to recognize the Television Tigress named Sela Ward, she is played by Sharon Schieber who was Stacy Warner in the TV series “House MD”.

In general the books by Gillian Flynn that I have read are very very dark. This film is no exception. Do NOT watch this film before bedtime.

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