When Gillian Flynn published her third novel Gone Girl in 2012, it became an instant hit and a bestseller. Two years later, in 2014, when the novel was adapted into a movie of the same name, that too became a popular and successful psychological thriller, leaving fans chilled to their cores. The Oscar-nominated movie also saw memorable performances by Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne and Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne.
Directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl also stars Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon in major roles, among others. Defined as a “postmodern mystery”, the movie follows the events in the life of Nick Dunne (Affleck) when his wife, Amy (Pike), mysteriously disappears, leaving him as the prime suspect in the investigation. There are many reasons why fans love Gone Girl. For one, it’s driven by an intense plot with an unexpected climax, which is impossible to forget. Both the book and the movie presented us with a complex, female protagonist who would go to any lengths to prove her mettle. If you haven’t watched it yet, you should. And if you have, then we are sure that you are hungry for similar twisted tales.
There are a host of movies with equally powerful women at the center and twists at every turn. From award-winning Hollywood hits to masterful international movies, here are our most recommended picks for all Gone Girl fans that would satisfy your craving for a good psychological thriller.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This psychological crime thriller was David Fincher’s previous project just before he made Gone Girl. So, fans usually find some likeness between the two, in terms of character building and story treatment. The movie stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the leading roles, along with Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, and Joely Richardson.
The neo-noir film was made twice – one in 2009, in Swedish, and in 2011, in English. Fincher directed the American remake. For a peek into European filmmaking, watch the Swedish version, though the American version is more visually rich and appealing.
Based on the eponymous novel by Swedish novelist and journalist Stieg Larsson, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig), investigating a missing woman from a wealthy family who disappeared 40 years ago. He gets help from hacker Lisbeth Salander (Mara), who also has a very dark and traumatic past. The two set out on a quest for truth, of their individual lives and of the people who have recruited them. Eventually, they unravel murderous plots and expose criminals in a remote country estate. This is a perfect watch before or after Gone Girl.
Tell No One
This is one of those underrated movies that you almost never hear being talked about despite being successful and excellently made. Tell No One (French: Ne le dis à personne) is a French film adapted from an American novel of the same name by Harlan Coben. Directed and co-written by Guillaume Canet, the movie features François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, and André Dussollier in major roles. Canet also plays a small role.
The story follows Dr. Alexandre Beck (Cluzet), a grieving husband whose wife was killed eight years ago by a high-profile serial killer. Beck is trying to put his life back together when he gets a mysterious email. The email contains a video clip of his wife, looking normal and alive. Soon there are two more deaths connected to his wife’s killing and that’s when Beck’s life is turned upside down. Very much like the plot of Gone Girl, Tell No One also takes you on an emotional, gripping, and provocative trip. Whether you are a fan of Gone Girl specifically or murder mysteries and crime thrillers in general, this is a must-watch.
Thoroughbreds
A black comedy thriller, Thoroughbreds explores high-school friendships and the intricate emotions of teenagers. Directed by Cory Finley, this 2017 movie features Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks, and Francie Swift in major roles. It follows the story of upper-class suburban best friends Lily (Joy) and Amanda (Cooke), who reconnect after a tragedy. Amanda has a mental condition that makes her lack any emotions, while Lily is quite full of it. It’s their shared lack of empathy that brings them to a close, building a strange and uncanny bond to the extent that the two start to plot a murder.
While the premise is a high-school story, Thoroughbreds relates to Gone Girl through its questionable female characters, who you would love and hate at the same time. This movie has a whole lot of dry and dark humor weaved into its narrative, which might elude you under the heavy layers of revenge plots and teenage angst.
Side Effects
Corrupt doctors, pharma conspiracy, personal vendetta, and of course, murder – this movie has everything that you want in a powerful psychological thriller. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Side Effects stars Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum in the lead roles. It is centered around Emily Taylor (Mara), who suffers from depression and seeks therapy. Shuffling between her present and previous therapists, Emily ends up committing a crime.
Now, if we say more about the story, it could just spoil the movie for you. So we'll just let you watch it and solve the mystery of what happens and why. But what we can definitely share is that Side Effects delivers impressive performances by the entire cast, especially from Jude Law and Rooney Mara. It’s complex and thrilling and keeps you involved all throughout. It really won’t let you down!
Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone has two things in common with Gone Girl. One, the resemblance in the titles of the two movies and two, Ben Affleck. The actor's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone is a big-screen adaptation of the 1998 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The 2007 crime drama thriller features Affleck’s brother Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan in the lead roles along with Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris.
The story follows Boston detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) investigating the disappearance of a missing four-year-old girl, Amanda. Things take a disturbing turn when Kenzie suddenly goes rogue. Is it for the greater good or is Kenzie a part of something sinister? Any more details and it would be a spoiler. Exciting and suspenseful, Gone Baby Gone would make a great addition to your crime drama watchlist.
To Die For
Another brilliant female-centric thriller based on a novel, To Die For is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Joyce Maynard. Fans of Gone Girl are sure to find a lot of common angles in this black-comedy crime drama. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the movie boasts an ensemble cast with Nicole Kidman as the leading character, along with Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Dillon, Illeana Douglas, Wayne Knight, and Casey Affleck in major roles, among others.
The psychological crime drama revolves around a woman who wants to kill her husband. Sounds quite like Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne, right? Though it may have similarly complex women at the heart of the story, To Die For is pretty straightforward. The story follows Suzanne Stone (Kidman), an ambitious journalist who would do anything to get national exposure and be famous. She devises a sinister plot with her lover and his friends to get her husband killed. There’s a lot of drama and suspenseful moments but there are also light-hearted ones, which makes this a dark comedy as well as a thriller. Watch it for Nicole Kidman’s brilliant performance as Suzanne Stone, a genuinely cold-hearted killer and psychopath.
Dark Places
Released in 2015, Dark Places is another gripping work based on a novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn. Written and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, the movie stars Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Chloë Grace Moretz, Tye Sheridan, Sterling Jerins, Corey Stoll, and Christina Hendricks in major roles. Coming from the same author, you would expect the characterization and plot for Dark Places to be similar to that of Gone Girl but that's not quite the case.
Theron’s Libby Day is a woman haunted by her past. Libby’s mother and two older sisters were murdered when she was eight years old and she lives with the belief that her brother was responsible for the crime, causing her all the trauma that she went through. But 30 years later, detective Lyle Wirth (Hoult) starts digging up the past to find out what exactly happened with Libby’s family. Though Dark Places wasn’t a huge hit among critics or at the theaters, it still merits a watch if you're a fan of Gillian Flynn's signature style. The star-studded cast is, of course, a bonus.