Gone Girl is the first must-see movie of the year.  Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel of a missing wife and the possibility of her husband's roll in her disappearance is chillingly brought to life by masterful director David Fincher (Seven, The Social Network).  I loved the book and so the twists and turns were no surprise to me, and I will still on the edge of my seat.

I went to Regal Cinemas to catch an advanced screening with a few of my female co-workers.  A popular idea seeing as the theater was made up of mostly women, likely members of a book club given the massive success of Flynn's breakout novel.

Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunn, a married man who is anticipating celebrating a typical and mundane 5th wedding anniversary with his wife Amy.  But on the morning of, Amy mysteriously goes M.I.A., and the twisted tale of 'is the husband responsible' begins.

But this is not your average 'who dunnit'.  In the hands of Fincher, Girl becomes a dark story bordering on as deviously psychopathic as Fatal Attraction, thanks to the maniacal performance of Amy played brilliantly by Rosamund PikeNeil Patrick Harris (Desi Collings), Casie Wilson (Noelle Hawthorne), and Missi Pyle (Ellen Abbott) round out Amy's got-a-screw-loose posse making for one of the most diverse ensemble casts in recent memory.

The Leftovers' Carrie Coon (Margo Dunne) and Tyler Perry (Tanner Bolt) keep the viewers safely on the side of Nick's innocence, providing the investigative moral compass that any he said/she said story needs (Dunne is Nick's sister, Bolt his high-powered defense attorney).

As riveting as this movie is, it's also just over 2 and 1/2 hours long, so get cozy when you get to the theater.  The film requires the length to do the book justice, but it's not at the expense of the viewer's attention span.  David Fincher cleverly and wisely crafted the on-screen portrayal of this story, making it more visually disturbing than any reader could imagine.  But if you're wondering if it lives up to Flynn's novel?  It does.  Vividly so.

Verdict: Get to the theater RIGHT NOW!

 

More From SoJO 104.9 FM