Directed by an advent perfectionist, David Fincher, and based off of the best-selling novels of Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is undoubtedly and absolutely, brilliant.

On technical terms alone, Gone Girl is a masterpiece. Every nuance of the movie added to the entire body of the film and deepened the entire plot.

Gone Girl follows a seemingly simple plot: on the day of Mike and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, Pike disappears. At first glance, the movie appears to follow a basic mystery storyline, easily found on an episode of Law and Order. On the contrary, Gone Girl delivers the complete opposite of this idea, containing a shocking turn and twist, throughout every moment of its 145 minute running time.

In terms of performances, every member of the cast was phenomenal. Impeccably casted, utilizing the talents of, Ben Affleck (Nick Dunne), Rosamund Pike (Amy Dunne), Carrie Coon (Margo Dunne), Tyler Perry (Tanner Bolt) and Neil Patrick Harris (Desi Collings), Gone Girl truly allowed each performer to rise to the acme of their careers in film.

The movie was led by the star power of Affleck, who proved his worth as an actor through the film. Following the disappearance of Amy Dunne, Nick Dunne’s character is brought into question. The police begin to wonder if Nick Dunne murdered his wife or if he is an innocent man. Nick Dunne’s character eventually becomes a highly debated issue for the press. Due to his own personal experiences with the media, Nick’s innocence is brought into question. Affleck nails the persona of Nick Dunne quite naturally. He portrays a man who can be perceived as charming and faultless, yet a man who can also be viewed as sneaky, deceiving and even murderous. For this reason, Affleck perfectly portrays the role of an unreliable narrator. Viewers are left wondering if they can really trust Nick Dunne, until the bitter end of the movie.

Rosamund Pike, prior to her leading role as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, was scarcely known to the acting industry. However, after Pike’s spectacular – even Oscar worthy—performance as Amy Dunne, she will forever be remembered in the acting world. Pike truly embodied the character of Amy Dunne; from her subtle movements and acting choices, Pike brought an extremely unique perspective to the typical wife. From physical expressions, body movements and glances, Pike nailed every aspect of “Amazing Amy”. As Pike herself was an only child in real life, she related on an honest level with the somewhat selfish and egotistical nature of the only child, Amy Dunne.

In addition to Pike and Affleck’s characters, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry and Kim Dickens all performed outstandingly. Coon portrayed Margo Dunne, Affleck’s twin sister in the film, impeccably providing a sense of comic relief in the dark and twisted film. Tyler Perry portrayed Tanner Bolt, serving as Nick Dunne’s attorney. Though usually casted in comedies, Perry took on a serious persona in this film, and surprisingly nailed his role, simply giving off a feeling of believability. Finally, and most remarkably, Neil Patrick Harris acted the part of a crazed stalker, Desi Collins, who was thoroughly obsessed with Amy Dunne. Every action performed by Harris was completely done through the mindset of Collins.

While some may be dissatisfied with the conclusion of the movie, it was so subtle, yet truly unsettling and leaves the audience awestruck and wanting more.