Gone Girl (2014)

Gone Girl is a 2014 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn, based on her 2012 novel of the same title. The film stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tyler Perry. Set in Missouri, the story begins as a mystery that follows the events surrounding Nick Dunne (Affleck), who becomes the primary suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife, Amy (Pike).

The film had its world premiere on opening night of the 52nd New York Film Festival on September 26, 2014, before a nationwide theatrical release on October 3. It was received well critically and was a commercial success, grossing $369 million, making it the highest-grossing film by Fincher.

Rosamund Pike's performance was particularly praised, and she received nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. Additional nominations included a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Fincher and Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and Critics' Choice Award nominations for Flynn's adapted screenplay, receiving the award for the latter.

The day of their fifth wedding anniversary, writing teacher Nick Dunne returns home to find his wife Amy is missing. Her disappearance receives heavy press coverage because Amy was the inspiration for her parents' popular Amazing Amy children's books. Detective Rhonda Boney does a walkthrough of their house and finds poorly concealed evidence of a struggle. The police conduct a forensic analysis and uncover the remnants of cleaned blood stains, leading to the conclusion that Amy was murdered. Suspicions arise that Nick is responsible, and his apathetic behavior is interpreted by the media as characteristic of a sociopath.

Flashbacks reveal that Nick and Amy's marriage had disintegrated; both lost their jobs in the recession and moved from New York City to Nick's hometown of North Carthage, Missouri. Nick became lazy and distant, and began cheating on Amy with one of his students. Boney unearths evidence of financial troubles and domestic disputes, and a witness states that Amy wanted to purchase a gun. She also finds a medical report indicating that Amy is pregnant, of which Nick denies knowledge, and a diary supposedly written by Amy highlighting her growing isolation, ominously ending with the fear that Nick will kill her.

Amy is revealed to be alive and well, having changed her appearance and gone into hiding in a distant campground in the Ozarks. Upon learning that Nick was cheating on her, she resolved to punish him by framing him for her murder. Amy plans the framing in great detail: she befriends a pregnant neighbor to steal her urine for the pregnancy test, drains her own blood to leave traces of evidence of murder and fabricates a diary describing her fear of Nick. She also has Nick increase her life insurance so it looks like he murdered her for the money. By using the clues in a "treasure hunt" game she and Nick play on their anniversary, she ensures he visits places where she has planted the corroborating evidence of Nick's guilt for the police to discover. She anticipates Nick will be convicted and executed for her murder, and contemplates committing suicide after his conviction.

Nick hires Tanner Bolt, a lawyer who specializes in defending men accused of killing or raping their wives. Nick meets Amy's ex-boyfriend Tommy O'Hara, who says Amy falsely accused him of rape, and gradually deduces Amy's plan. He also approaches another ex-boyfriend, the wealthy Desi Collings, who Amy previously filed a restraining order against, but Desi refuses to share any details. When Amy's neighbors at the campground rob her of her remaining money, she calls Desi and convinces him that she ran away from Nick because he was abusing her. He agrees to hide her in his lake house, which is equipped with surveillance cameras.

Nick convinces his twin sister, Margo, of his innocence. After Nick's mistress reveals their affair at a press conference, Nick appears on a talk show to profess his innocence and apologize for his failures as a husband in the hope of luring Amy. His performance rekindles Amy's feelings for him, even as Boney arrests him for Amy's murder. Amy inflicts injuries on herself and uses Desi's surveillance cameras to her advantage, making it appear that Desi kidnapped and raped her. She seduces Desi and kills him during sex by slitting his throat. Covered in Desi's blood, she returns home and names him as her captor and rapist, clearing Nick of suspicion.

When Boney questions Amy about the holes in her story, Amy accuses her of incompetence. The FBI sides with Amy, forcing Boney to back down. Amy tells Nick the truth, saying that the man she watched pleading for her return on TV is the man she wants him to become again. Nick shares this with Boney, Bolt, and Margo, but they have no way to prove Amy's guilt.

Nick intends to leave Amy and expose her lies, but Amy reveals she is pregnant, having artificially inseminated herself with Nick's sperm stored at a fertility clinic. Nick doubts the child is his and says he will take a paternity test. He then reacts violently to Amy's insistence that they remain married, but feels responsible for the child. Despite Margo's objections, Nick reluctantly decides to stay with Amy. The "happy" couple announces on television that they are expecting a child.