There’s a reason David Fincher’s nine feature films have won a total of 46 awards and earned over $1.5 trillion at the box office: he’s a master of his craft and takes his art seriously.

His tenth film, Gone Girl, is no exception, as he elicits unparalleled performances in the best film of the year, so far.

Gone Girl is based on the novel of the same name and centers around Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), an out-of-work writer thrown into a national media frenzy after his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) disappears. The film’s suspense builds around the uncertainty of whether or not Nick is involved with her disappearance.

With Oscar-buzz building around her eerie portrayal of a young bride trapped in a marriage she no longer wants to be in, a previously relatively-unknown Pike makes a name for herself and delivers what may be the defining moment of her career.

In an era where it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to successfully create a fresh, bold new thriller that steers clear of genre clichés, Fincher’s latest film not only accomplishes this, it raises the bar for both future thrillers and future films adapted from novels.

As with any film adaptation, there are details in the book that were left out of the movie.

Some critics say these details might have altered the film a little, however, these critics are wrong.

Running at roughly two and half hours, the film required some details be left out, and who better to decide what gets cut out than the novel’s author, Gillian Flynn?

Despite Fincher’s two Oscar nominations for directing, Flynn is the film’s biggest asset.

Having Flynn write the screenplay not only ensured the film stayed true to the book (unlike The Giver, for example, whose film completely ruined the novel), it gives the characters a stronger sense of authenticity – something that genuinely came across on screen in not only Affleck and Pike’s performances, but Neil Patrick Harris’s brilliantly creepy performance as well.

Offering a social commentary on long-term relationships, Gone Girl leaves the audience questioning everything they thought they knew with every twist and turn.