A REVIEW By Lily Wheadon

  After reading Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” over the summer and loving it, I decided to watch David Fincher’s 2014 film adaptation of the novel, and to say it was incredible is an understatement.

  Whenever I watch a movie adaptation of a book, I try to go into it with low expectations. I was not expecting much from this movie.  Even though it was extremely popular when it was released in 2014, I didn’t expect it to stay true to the original novel, which was over 400 pages long.  

  However, Flynn herself wrote the screenplay, which was almost identical to the novel, and this made a difference. Every main, memorable plot point was illustrated perfectly. Watching the movie was an experience of its own, and I saw the mystery unraveling in front of my eyes in a way that I couldn’t while reading the book. 

  The casting for the movie was almost perfect, especially the male and female leads.  Ben Affleck played Nick Dunne phenomenally, and it was as if the words from Flynn’s novel had materialized into a real person.  Rosamund Pike also did an incredible job as Amy Dunne. Pike captured Amy Dunne’s feminine rage incredibly well, and Amy’s anger comes through in a thrilling yet terrifying way. Some of the casting choices were surprising, such as Emily Ratajkowski being casted as Andie Hardy. Ratajkowski is known for being a model, not an actress, but seeing her appear on screen when Nick’s “big secret” is revealed adds to the shock value of the revelation. The only casting choice that was less than perfect was Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings. While Harris captured Desi’s delusions about Amy incredibly, his appearance and voice were (obviously) very similar to his character Barney Stinson in “How I Met Your Mother”. This made it somewhat difficult for me to take his character seriously, since Barney is known for being very goofy. Harris is so effortlessly funny, and it was odd to see him in such a dark, serious role.

  Visually, the movie was amazing. From the glum suburban town where Nick and Amy resided to the whimsical portrayal of high society in New York, every shot was perfect. The camera captured every moment: the good, the bad, and especially the ugly.

  The movie’s soundtrack was also enjoyable. There were no big pop songs, and all of the music was composed specifically for the movie. The music was eerie and haunting, yet somehow still catchy. Every beat was matched perfectly to the scene it accompanied.

  Gone Girl is one of the few films that is just as good as the book it was inspired by. The perfect casting, performances, music, and visuals just helped create an unforgettable film version of the already outstanding novel.