Gone Girl came out in 2014 and eight years later it is still provoking discussion among movie fans, critics, and feminists. This is for a reason – the movie, based on a novel written by Gillian Flynn, explores difficult topics, such as romantic and family relationships, hardships of marriage, betrayal, trust, and murder.
The movie falls into several different genres – it is thriller, drama, and mystery. If you loved seeing Gone Girl, continue reading the article to find out about more movies you are likely to enjoy.
Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl portrays the events that happen as and after Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) suddenly disappears, seemingly without a trace. Her husband, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), finds himself at the center of that unwanted attention as the police look for his wife.
Amy Dunne is beautiful, charming, witty, hot, funny, and tolerant… – the cool girl, as she monologues at the beginning of the movie. Her husband is a “cute, charming, salt of the earth guy” whom she decides to teach a lesson about the consequences of his actions by leaving mercilessly.
Her carefully planned actions take us on a rollercoaster of mystery, drama, empathy, guilt, revenge, murder, and betrayal, as we discover that neither of them was the version they showed to the world.
Gone Girl was one of the highest-earning movies of 2014. It was critically acclaimed and commercially very well-received. The movie received four Golden Globe Awards nominations – Best Director, Best Actress in Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Academy Awards nominated Rosamund Pike for Best Actress.
If you liked the drama, mystery, and crime in Gone Girl, here is the list of 12 movies you are likely to enjoy watching.
1. Shutter Island (2010)
English 2h 29m IMDb
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
This mystery thriller directed by Martin Scorsese is set in the early sixties. It follows the story of two US marshalls, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo).
The plot is set in a hospital for the criminally insane where they investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Patricia Clarkson), a patient of the asylum who drowned her three children.
During the investigation, Teddy struggles with his own nightmares – vivid flashbacks of his life in the army and of his late wife Dolores (Michelle Williams) who was tragically murdered by an arsonist. Teddy’s time at the hospital leads him to shocking discoveries as he reveals the truth behind Solando’s disappearance.
2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
English Swedish 2h 38m IMDb
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a book written by Stieg Larsson and adapted for the movie by David Fincher in 2011. This thriller is everything you need if you like nerve-wracking plot twists and deeply emotional stories that revolve around unique and intriguing characters.
The storyline follows Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), an investigative journalist who loses his job at Millenium Magazine following a lost libel case. Jobless and defamed, Mikael gets an offer to work for Henrik Vagner (Christopher Plummer), a millionaire who wants to uncover the mystery behind his grandniece’s disappearance that happened four decades before.
Mikael accepts the job and starts working on finding out the truth when he meets a troubled hacker girl Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). They form a professional bond that will lead to discovering more than they bargained for.
3. Promising Young Woman (2020)
English 1h 53m IMDb
Director: Emerald Fennell
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie
Promising Young Woman is a movie that deals with tragedy, vengeance, relationships, and the consequences of all three. The main lead, Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan), lives with her parents and spends time in a coffee shop where she works.
Soon after the movie starts we find out that her life is not as ordinary as it initially seems. Seven years ago, her best friend Nina committed suicide as a result of the injustice she encountered after she was raped by a classmate.
Devastated by her loss and infuriated by the people who allowed that to happen, she takes it upon herself to seek revenge. Promising Young Woman is a thought-provoking movie that you will have something to say about whether you enjoy watching it or not, so it’s best watched with a group of friends you can discuss it with afterward.
4. Black Swan (2010)
English French Italian 1h 48m IMDb
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
If you like what David Fincher did with Gone Girl, you are likely to enjoy what Darren Aronofsky did in one of his most popular works, Black Swan. In this movie, mystery and drama follow young Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), as she works to secure her spot in the upcoming production of Swan Lake by the New York City Ballet company.
The director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel), looks for a dancer who can embody both a dark and sinister Black Swan and a sensual and gentle White Swan. While Nina is a perfect choice for the latter, she has trouble bringing out the passion portraying the Black Swan would entail.
That role seems perfect for her colleague, Lily (Mila Kunis). Following a fiery situation between Thomas and her, he hires her for the role – the decision that will turn out to be life-changing for Nina.
5. Memento (2000)
English 1h 53m IMDb
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
Memento came out in 2010 and it is directed by legendary Christopher Nolan. It is a mystery thriller based on a story written by Cristopher’s brother, Jonathan Nolan, and published in Esquire magazine in March 2001.
The movie immerses us in the story of Leonard Shelby, played by Guy Pearce, who suffers from anterograde amnesia. This condition makes it impossible for Leonard to make new memories, which is why he uses his tattoos and notes to investigate the murder of his wife (Jorja Fox), the last event he clearly remembers.
The movie consists of two storylines – the black-and-white storyline which follows the present chronologically, and the color storyline which tells us everything that happened but in the opposite order, from present to the past. The two eventually meet giving us the whole picture – one that reveals everything.
6. Cape Fear (1991)
English 2h 8m IMDb
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Robert De NiroNick NolteJessica Lange
Cape Fear is Martin Scorsese’s drama thriller movie from 1991. It is a remake of the same name film from 1962 that was based on the book by John D. McDonald, The Executioners. The movie stars Robert De Niro who portrays a convicted criminal, Max Cady.
Max was imprisoned for the rape and beating of a 16-year-old girl after Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) represented him in court. He gets out of prison after 14 long years that he used to learn everything he can about the law, his case, and what role his former lawyer played in his imprisonment.
Sam, on the other hand, is living a seemingly quiet and happy family life with his wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and teenage daughter, Danielle (Juliette Lewis). Â Equipped with the newly-found knowledge, Max plots his revenge.
7. The Machinist (2004)
English Spanish 1h 41m IMDb
Director: Brad Anderson
Stars: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
The Machinist is a psychological thriller directed by Brand Anderson and released in 2004. The machinist in the movie is Trevor Reznik, played by Christian Bale. Trevor goes to his job where he is not particularly liked and has two somewhat close women in his life – a prostitute Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and an airport waitress Marie (Aitana Sánchez-GijĂłn).
We learn that he suffers from insomnia and that he hasn’t slept in a year. Trevor seems miserable, hopeless, and undernourished, and his flashbacks and paranoia don’t help his condition.
Despite his less-than-ideal state of mind, he manages to connect with Marie, but he has yet to find out where his insomnia, flashbacks, and paranoia come from.
It is worth noting that Christian Bale lost over 60 pounds for this role by undergoing a highly restrictive diet for four months. Although what he did was dangerous, he was praised for his commitment to the role.
8. Misery (1990)
English 1h 47m IMDb
Director: Rob Reiner
Stars: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth
Misery is a 1990 movie based on the same name book by Stephen King. The story is set in a small town in Colorado. Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a writer famous for his best-selling romance novels whose main character is Misery Chastain.
Having finished writing his new crime novel, Paul heads to Los Angeles by car when he gets into a car accident due to a snowstorm. Turns out that the town he crashed in was the home of one of his fans, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who just happens to be a nurse.
Annie takes him into her home and starts taking care of him, refusing to take Paul to the hospital. What could have been the luckiest coincidence of his life quickly turns out to be his own misery.
This movie has earned the Kathy Bates Academy Award for Best Actress. It is directed by Rob Reiner.
9. The Illusionist (2006)
English 1h 50m IMDb
Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Edward Norton, Jessica BielPaul Giamatti
The Illusionist is a movie written and directed by Neil Burger and released in 2006. The movie is based on the short story, Eisenheim the Illusionist, written by Steven Millhauser. If you love mystery, romance, and drama, you will thoroughly enjoy this film.
The story is centered around the magician Eisenheim (Edward Norton) and Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel). The two were in love when they were young, but their relationship was cut short because of their different social standings – Eisenheim’s father was a cabinet-maker while Sophie was a Dutchess.
Eisenheim travels the world and returns to his home country after 15 years, only to find out that Sophie is about to marry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). To fight for his beloved’s love, Eisenheim needs to do what he does best – magic.
10. An Inspector Calls (2015)
English 1h 27m IMDb
Director: Aisling Walsh
Stars: David Thewlis, Lucy Chappell, Miranda Richardson
In case you didn’t like the lengthiness of Gone Girl but liked the mystery and drama in the movie, you should consider watching An Inspector Calls. This is an hour-and-a-half movie directed by Helen Edmunson and based on the same name play from 1945 by J.B. Priestley.
The story is set in the early twentieth century and it is centered around the Birling family who celebrate the engagement of their daughter Sheila (Chloe Pirrie) when they get a visit from an inspector (David Thewlis).
He announces that a girl, Eva Smith (Sophie Rundle) committed suicide. The whole family claims they didn’t know Eva, but the inspector knows better than that. An Inspector Calls is an engaging story about crime and the mystery behind it, but watch carefully and you may also learn an important thing or two about humanity.
11. A Simple Favor (2018)
English 1h 57m IMDb
Director: Paul Feig
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding
This thriller mystery drama with a hint of black comedy came out in 2018 and it is directed by Paul Feig. The plot follows Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a single mother of one child who runs a vlog.
Her life is about to change when she meets Emily (Blake Lively) – a beautiful, rich, and mysterious woman whose child goes to the same school as Stephanie’s. Emily asks for a simple favor from Stephanie, but right afterward she goes missing. Things are about to unravel when Stephanie sets out to find out what happened to her.
Hurry up to watch this sinisterly funny movie because there is a sequel coming out soon!
12. Prescription: Murder (1968)
English 1h 40m IMDb
Director: Richard Irving
Stars: Peter Falk, Gene Barry, Katherine Justice
Although Prescription: Murder came out in 1968, it is a timeless piece of television. It is directed by Richard Irving and written by Richard Levinson and William Link. The movie stars Gene Barry who portrays Dr. Ray Flemming – a married psychiatrist who cheats on his wife, Carol Flemming (Nina Foch).
Carol threatens to divorce him, ruin his reputation, and take all of his money, so he plots the murder of his wife with the help of his actress mistress and a patient, Joan Hudson (Katherine Justice). Their perfect alibi might just fall apart when Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) enters the scene.
Summary
Gone Girl is considered one of the best movies of 2014, both among critics and cinephiles. It touched on many important topics in a mysterious and engaging way.
If you liked Gone Girl, there are many more movies you may have not watched but are likely to enjoy, such as Misery, A Simple Favor, Promising Young Woman, Black Swan, and more. Whichever you choose, make sure to share your thoughts and opinions with us, we would love to hear them. Have fun at the movie night!
