--- title: "Gone Girl: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/gone-girl/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/gone-girl" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Gone Girl (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is firmly positive: critics find Gone Girl a gripping, darkly funny thriller, with praise clustering around David Fincher’s controlled direction and the adaptation’s handling of suspense. The reviews repeatedly point to its account of marriage as a place where people manage appearances, and to its sharp satire of media behaviour. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike draw substantial praise, with Pike frequently singled out. The cool imagery and shifts in perspective are widely seen as serving both the tension and the humour. The differences concern how much substance sits beneath that control. The Evening Standard finds the film overlong, while Sight and Sound notes thin supporting characters. Vulture questions its cynicism and male gaze. The Times offers a notable dissent on Pike, finding her less convincing than Affleck. The spread is chiefly between enthusiasm and qualified admiration, rather than a split over whether the thriller works. ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/5/5. 1 October 2014. Fincher's adaptation supercharges the novel with layers of intrigue and excels as a subtle examination of modern relationships and deception. The critic praises its crystalline style and philosophical depth as up there with the director's best. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/gone-girl) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 5/5. 22 September 2014. The film transforms into a wickedly confident Hollywood thriller and the stealthiest comedy since American Psycho, redeeming faith in studio filmmaking. The critic singles out Fincher's cool, chilling imagery and sneaky theme of performance anxiety in marriage for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/gone-girl) ## Sight and Sound — Nick James Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2014. Fincher delivers an entertainingly perverse adaptation that excels in visual dexterity and psychological tension, with strong performances from Affleck and especially Pike. The critic singles out the film's Hitchcockian mode and outlandish narrative twists for praise while noting some characters feel insubstantial. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-gone-girl) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2014. The critic praises the clear-eyed, unfussy and startlingly faithful adaptation of the bestseller. They single out the film's exploration of perception and how people package and project images to fool others and themselves. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/gone-girl-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2014. Festival review. Fincher's guileful adaptation should become a major hit as a serpentine thriller and mordant satire of media and domestic violence. The critic singles out Rosamund Pike's dynamic performance and the film's restrained style with poetic touches. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/gone-girl/5077764.article) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2014. Brody views the film as a modern update on marital darkness akin to Eyes Wide Shut, praising its exploration of resentment, media, and performance in relationships. He singles out its cynical yet mythic take on gender and identity for particular note. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/david-finchers-portrait-marriage) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2014. The critic finds it an entertaining if overlong relationship thriller with strong performances from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. They single out the film's noir-ish seriousness and Fincher's adaptation of the source material's twists. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/gone-girl-film-review-ben-affleck-is-great-in-david-finchers-noirish-thriller-and-rosamund-pike-is-nearly-as-good-9771810.html) ## Empire — William Thomas 22 September 2014. The critic calls it a gripping, sharp and blissfully entertaining thriller that pushes every hot-topic button. They single out the briskness and malicious glee in Fincher's direction as it delves into the complex psychology of relationships. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/gone-girl-review/) ## Film Comment — Kent Jones 1 November 2014. The critic views the film as a stylishly twisted relationship drama mining Gillian Flynn’s bestseller for classical suspense and barbed domestic satire. Fincher’s technical mastery and the narrative’s bold shifts make it one of the gutsiest mainstream films in years. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/gone-girl-david-fincher/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 2 October 2014. The critic praises Fincher's taut, twisty adaptation as a suspenseful portrait of a warped marriage, highlighting the strong performances by Pike and Affleck as modern-day equivalents of classic film noir couples. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/02/gone-girl-review-david-fincher-pike-affleck) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy 21 September 2014. The critic finds it a sharply made, perfectly cast and unfailingly absorbing melodrama but feels it falls short of Fincher's finest, leaving a feeling of 'is that all there is?' Praises the faithful adaptation and performances, especially Affleck and Pike. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/gone-girl-film-review-734451/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 26 September 2014. The critic praises Fincher's assured direction of this twisty adaptation, highlighting his command of suspense and point-of-view storytelling. She singles out the film's sharp take on media frenzy and marital deception as particularly effective. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/movies/ben-affleck-in-david-finchers-gone-girl.html) ## The Times — Kate Muir 22 September 2014. Festival review. Fincher handles the material slickly in this gripping psychological thriller about a troubled marriage, though the film lacks some of the atmosphere of his prior works and Pike's performance is less convincing than Affleck's. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/gone-girl-first-review-fincher-handles-his-material-slickly-9bljqlcxhk9) ## Variety — Justin Chang 21 September 2014. Chang lauds the film as a precise and mesmerizing thriller that perfectly matches Fincher's style to the material, with standout performances. He singles out the insightful dissection of marriage and media culture as a highlight. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-gone-girl-1201308847/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein 1 October 2014. The critic calls the film phenomenally gripping but notes it leaves you queasy and uncertain about relationships; praises Fincher's direction and Affleck's performance while critiquing the cynicism and male gaze. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-gone-girl.html) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2014. Festival review. The critic calls the film immaculately directed by Fincher and a strong awards contender that delivers on almost every level with towering performances. He singles out the smart and wickedly funny look at marriage and media along with the near-perfect screenplay adaptation. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2014/09/ben-affleck-slays-em-as-gone-girl-launches-new-york-film-festival-and-marches-into-oscar-race-842177/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 2 October 2014. The critic calls it a vicious, nasty, and bitingly funny look at anti-love, a cold and pitiless dissection of marriage as a violent crime. They highlight the brutal media satire and the film's gallows humor as standout elements. [Read the review](https://collider.com/gone-girl-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 29 September 2014. Fincher delivers an engrossing, addictive thriller with mesmerising central performances, especially from Rosamund Pike, that balances pulp thrills with sharp satire on media and marriage. It is hypnotic from start to finish despite some far-fetched elements. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/gone-girl-review-2/) ## The Wrap — James Rocchi 21 September 2014. The critic praises the film as Fincher’s latest masterwork that mixes top-notch suspenseful storytelling with razor-edged wit and cynical comedy. He singles out the performances of Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike along with the clean, clear construction and observations about modern marriage and media. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/gone-girl-review-david-fincher-ben-affleck-gillian-flynn/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/gone-girl.md