Photo by Merrick Morton.
When it comes to monsters, we tend to like their physical manifestation to be as hideous as the horrors that lie within. But horror comes in many forms and, in reality, one’s beauty and wholesomeness can mask the true monster within. David Fincher has made a career out of directing films about people who appear to be normal (often too-perfect-to-be-true) to the rest of the world while secretly harboring demons of some sort. That’s basically the definition of a sociopath, and that’s exactly what Gone Girl is all about.
Like most of Fincher’s films, however, it’s figuring out who the sociopath is that makes Gone Girl so intriguing. When Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home to find his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, the broken coffee table, blood spatter in the kitchen and other evidence make him the prime suspect in her murder. After a few media appearances in which Nick appears, at best, unconcerned and, at worst, completely smug, the media quickly assumes he is guilty. It turns out, however, that Amy has staged her death in order to escape what has become a miserable marriage thanks to financial strains, Nick’s infidelity and other factors. But Amy’s masterful manipulation doesn’t stop there, especially after her plan is foiled by a couple of redneck robbers (Lola Kirke and Boyd Holbrook) and a sympathetic talk show appearance by Nick that changes the public’s perception of him. And with Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry), an attorney made famous for keeping alleged wife murderers out of prison, on his side, Amy is forced to come running back home to keep up her victimized facade.
Photo by Merrick Morton.
When she returns, however, she is covered in the blood of former lover Desi (Neil Patrick Harris), claiming that he kidnapped and raped her. Amy is now trapped in her own lies, but she’s able to convince Nick that he is also trapped within the confines of their seemingly unbelievably strong marriage. While they appear to the rest of the world to be a happy couple reunited, Nick is forced to endure this private hell while Amy finds some sadistic pleasure in the entire spectacle. It’s scary to think that such a horrible person can be wrapped in such a lovely exterior, especially considering that Amy has been overly idealized in a series of children’s books written by her parents (Lisa Barnes and David Clennon). The combination of Fincher’s directorial stylings, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ unnervingly atmospheric score and bewildering performances by Affleck and Pike (who is quickly becoming one of filmdom’s most well-rounded leading ladies as seen here and in Hector and the Search for Happiness), as well as immersive marketing tactics like this realistic Find Amazing Amy website, create a surreal nightmarish/dreamlike atmosphere that permeates the entire movie. While we’re bombarded with grotesque monsters this time of year, Gone Girl is a reminder that appearances can often be deceiving. In this case, that is scarier than any Halloween horrors.