From Les Diaboliques (1955) to Deep Water (2022) here are 12 movies like Gone Girl for thriller fans.
The Oscar-nominated psychological crime thriller by David Fincher features Nicholas Dunne (Ben Affleck), an English teacher, who has to confront a series of allegations when his wife Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on their fifth anniversary. He’s suspected to have murdered his wife. Through a series of flashback sequences we learn that this was a toxic relationship. He now needs to pay the price for past transgressions.
Fincher’s storytelling elevates Glynn Flynt’s best-selling novel. What makes the film compulsively watchable is the sheer momentum of its story, acting, and images. Turning the usual gender-politics scenarios on their heads, the villain is a woman obsessed with power and revenge. And the victim, a man whose career goes for a toss when he refuses to play by rules.
So if you’ve enjoyed Gone Girl, here are 12 similar movies you’ll love:
Movies Like Gone Girl
1. Les Diaboliques (1955)
When Christina (Véra Clouzot) is mistreated by her cruel husband Michel Delasalle (Paul Meurisse), she decides to murder him with the help of his mistress Nicole (Simone Signoret). After the two commit murder, Michel’s body is dumped in a swimming pool. But gasp. When the pool is drained, the dead body is nowhere to be found.
Schemes and manipulations pervade the dark narrative. Armand Thirard’s black-and-white photography and Georges Van Parys’ background score accentuate the film’s gloomy and enigmatic atmosphere. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s psychological crime drama is a classic noted for the ingenuity of its plot while skilfully evoking fear.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
2. Body Heat (1981)
3. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) decides to fake her death to escape her abusive relationship with her wealthy husband Martin (Patrick Bergin). She succeeds in her contrivance and takes up a different identity. Soon though, Martin finds her and Laura’s struggle for a safe life begins again.
Sleeping with the Enemy is a difficult prospect for anyone who’s gone through a similar trauma of marital abuse. It does, however, open up a discussion about an important issue in a powerful way. A remarkable performance from Julia Robert ensures that, despite its flaws, the story stays with you long after the credits roll. The film eschews melodrama which keeps it from being unduly maudlin and saccharine-sweet.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
4. Basic Instinct (1992)
Set in San Francisco, the story opens with a heinous murder of a famous rock musician. A troubled police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is called in to investigate the murder. Mysterious and manipulative novelist Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) is a suspect. The two quickly form a bond. What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase that will put Nick into an ethical and moral quandary.
Dutch Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s most controversial film to date takes creative approaches to the “war between the sexes.” He avoids the sleazy trappings within the narrative. Thus, Basic Instinct is proof that an erotic thriller can also be aesthetically pleasing without being exploitative. Jan de Bont’s cinematography lends it a visceral, neo-noir tone.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
5. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Stanley Kubrick’s final outing is a clinical examination of a married couple Bill Hartford (Tom Cruise) and Alice (Nicole Kidman) under moral duress. When Alice admits to Bill of having sexual fantasies about a man she met, their relationship spirals further down. Bill decides to have an affair as payback, ready to face the unavoidable consequences of his actions.
Based on Austrian author and dramatist Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Traumnovelle, Kubrick’s cinematic rendition is a stunning meditation on marriage and infidelity. Tightly executed, it’s an examination of human relationships in the modern world. The emotional ties that make us feel secure are becoming increasingly more complicated, and have the potential to tear us apart in devastating fashion.
Where to Watch: Netflix
6. Unfaithful (2002)
When Constance Sumner (Diane Lane) has a chance encounter with Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez), she doesn’t hesitate to involve herself in an affair with the young man. Little does she know that the illicit relationship will not only rip apart her marriage with her husband Edward Sumner (Richard Gere), but also push her into a lifetime of guilt.
The film’s screenplay was based on French filmmaker Claude Chabrol’s La Femme infidèle (1969), and filmmaker Adrian Lyne was much interested in telling this tale of marital infidelity and revenge in a simple and straightforward manner. He refrains from flashy camera tricks and fashionable gimmicks. Diane Lane’s enthralling performance gives a further heft to the story. Take note of her moody, quiet and emotionally-charged facial expressions.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Asylum (2005)
Set in 1960, Stella Raphael (Natasha Richardson) is the wife of a psychiatrist, Max (Hugh Bonneville). The couple lives in a remote area of Great Britain. Due to their mundane relationship, Stella develops an extra-marital affair with one of her husband’s patients Edgar (Marton Csokas). But what begins as a clandestine relationship soon begins to shatter the lives of these three characters.
Asylum has a polished approach and scores in its directorial acumen. However, it is Natasha Richardson’s portrayal of a character caught in personal and professional turmoil that truly elevates the film. The conflict and unrest of her infidelity, that she silently absorbs through the narrative, makes her an empathetic character. Her performance was awarded at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
8. Tell No One (2006)
Tell No One is a French thriller adapted from a novel by Harlan Coben. The protagonist of the film Alexandre (François Cluzet) receives emails that point at his dead wife Margo (Marie-Josée Croze) being alive. Two more murders happen and Alexandre becomes a prime suspect in a murder case committed eight years ago. How Alexandre proves his innocence becomes the crux of this film’s story.
Director Guillaume Canet approaches the subject of his film with not just the depth and texture that a rooted story lends, but also with joltingly tense and surprisingly circuitous plot lines. What makes it more than just an investigative drama? This film explores grief and trauma, and displays empathy for all of its characters.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
9. Leaving (2009)
Catherine Corsini’s French film Leaving is the tale of Suzanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) who is losing motivation in her life. So, with the help of her husband Samuel (Yvan Attal), she decides to resume her profession as a psychiatrist. He plans to build a room for her patients and gives the responsibility to Ivan (Sergi López). But what happens next? Cue a torrid love affair and murder.
This film’s strength lies in its strong message. It imparts that we are all human, deeply flawed and often possessing irrepressible desires and drives. Kristin Scott Thomas’ subdued performance is a definite asset, and ironically heightens the film’s emotionality. One could say her psychological “upheaval” is the most persuasive, probably best-written part of the film.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
10. Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Fashion designer turned filmmaker, Tom Ford’s sophomore film is based on a novel by Austin Wright titled Tony and Susan. Dramatic events unfold when the manuscript of a novel is posted to art gallery owner Susan Morrow (Amy Adams). It is written by her estranged ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal). The film then follows two timelines. One that happens in the real life of Susan. The other one that happens with the characters from the manuscript.
Nocturnal Animals is about the relationships between husband and wife, their children, and their attachments, both physical and psychological. The most striking aspect of the film is its potent revelations. It reveals that beneath our manufactured roles of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and children, we are vulnerable.
Where to Watch: Netflix
11. Burning (2018)
This Korean film is a tale of three individuals – Lee Jong-Su (Yoo Ah-in), Ben (Steven Yeun) and Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-Seo) and their entangled relationship. Lee is a struggling novelist who accidentally bumps into his neighbor and classmate, Shin. She requests him to look after her cat while she is away on a trip. When Shin returns she brings home a stranger, Ben, with whom she has bonded well, while stranded at an airport. As the three get closer to one another, the situation gets complicated with damaging results.
Adapted from a short story collection by Haruki Murakami, Lee Chang Dong’s cinematic adaptation is a dazzling, confounding, gorgeously crafted thriller. The film presents a canvas for romantic longing, secrets and obsessions.
Where to Watch: Netflix
12. Deep Water (2022)
Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas) are a married couple. Like many marriages, this one too has been subject to exhaustion and wearing away due to the burden of routine. Hence Melinda embarks on a love affair with multiple people instead of a divorce. But as her lover goes missing the needle of suspicion gets pointed at Vic.
Based on the eponymous novel by Patricia Highsmith, and directed by Adrian Lyne, Deep Waters is neatly structured and tightly plotted. The film explains that every couple is an enigma to outsiders, and often even to itself. Like Gone Girl, this film also captures the unspoken mysteries that bind a couple together, but also push them apart. The narrative is vivid and devastating in a truly unique way.
Where to Watch: Hulu
Conclusion
So here is my list of twelve smartly crafted “relationship” films that explore the potentially dirty underbelly of “that thing called love.” The filmmakers’ unique treatment of each love story has given us deeper insight. Not to mention each surprise ending has left us mystified in that great cinematic way. Which other movies like Gone Girl caught your fancy? Let’s talk in the comments below.
