A Legacy of Psychological Thrillers
When Gillian Flynn published her third novel, Gone Girl, back in 2012, it became an instant bestseller. It was perhaps little surprise that a film adaptation of the book was immediately commissioned. However, what has been quite intriguing is the manner in which the David Fincher film has become such an enduring classic that has now remained relevant for over a decade, as it follows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) as he struggles to respond to his wife’s disappearance when it begins to look as though he may be responsible for it.
Defined by Rosamund Pike’s scintillating yet terrifying performance as Amy Dunne, Gone Girl‘s fanfare only grows greater as more time passes by. As such, audience interest in finding films that can deliver a similarly pulsating experience has only grown over time as well. Ranging from taut mystery thrillers to astounding depictions of female ambition and desire in commanding lead performances, these thrillers are perfect for lovers of Gone Girl who want to experience the thrills and intensity all over again.
Classic Psychological Thrillers That Resonate
Psycho (1960)
Gone Girl has become an icon of modern cinema as one of the most compelling psychological thrillers in recent decades. Psycho is an icon of classic cinema as one of the most compelling psychological thrillers of all time. However, the two movies aren’t linked only by their illustration of excellence in the genre, but also by their daring plot structures that use the midpoint to maximum effect, completely altering the trajectory of the second half of the story with a shocking and sinister twist.
The Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece follows Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) as she steals a sum of money from her boss and flees the city, ending up at the Bates Motel. When she disappears soon after, her sister and lover team up to investigate what happened to her. An impeccable marriage of simmering suspense, shock horror, and morbid intrigue, Psycho is as gloriously unsettling as it is viciously absorbing.
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Like Gone Girl, Dial M for Murder presents an enrapturing and cynical psychological thriller exploring a marriage laced with a morbid plot for revenge. It unfolds as retired tennis player Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) plots to murder his socialite wife after learning that she is having an affair. Extorting his old college friend to be his accomplice, Tony hatches a scheme that could see him inherit Margot’s (Grace Kelly) wealth, but when the attack doesn’t go to plan, the homicidal husband must try to scramble out of the limelight of a police investigation.
The film exudes a twisted glee, a macabre magnetism that is both exciting and ensnaring. Anyone who finds a wicked form of entertaining splendor in Rosamund Pike’s portrayal of Amy Dunne will likely experience a similar sensation of sinister zest in Milland’s suave and slicing performance. Further bolstered by the story’s twisting and turning nature, Dial M for Murder is an addictive viewing experience rich with gripping suspense that combines psychological tension and marital conflict with superb skill.
Modern Psychological Thrillers That Echo Gone Girl
Nightcrawler (2014)
Rosamund Pike’s faultless and ferocious performance as Amy Dunne is arguably the single most defining element of Gone Girl’s greatness, a piercing and petrifying exhibition of psychotic drive and ruthless determination underlined by a power that is immediately impressionable. Interestingly, Gone Girl wasn’t the only psychological thriller of 2014 to feature that type of performance.
A terrifying descent into the world of freelance photojournalism, Nightcrawler thrives off the back of Jake Gyllenhaal’s imposing lead performance as Lou Bloom, a psychopathic petty criminal who finds work filming horrific incidents in L.A. and selling the footage to a local news station. Perhaps even more so than Gone Girl, Nightcrawler is a confronting exploration of the cunning calculation and inhuman apathy of a psychopath, one that plunges viewers into a bitterly realistic and brutal world of crime, exploitation, and amorality.
Blood Simple (1984)
Standing as the attention-grabbing feature film debut of the Coen Brothers, Blood Simple is a razor-sharp mixture of crime thrills, neo-noir intrigue, romantic drama, and occasional black comedy. Set in Texas, it unfolds as a jealous and embittered saloon owner tasks the private eye he hired to unearth his wife’s romance with one of his bartenders with carrying out the murder of the two love birds. Chaos erupts when the hit job doesn’t quite go to plan.
The similarities to Gone Girl are abundantly clear, with the suspense revolving around a violent and vindictive scheme stemming from a broken marriage. With the Coens’ trademark use of dark and offbeat comedy and their indulgence in neo-noir style, however, Blood Simple is able to offer something striking different in the form of a contained and concise thriller that is just as refreshing and unique today as it was upon release way back in 1984.
Films That Embrace Mystery and Dark Humor
A Simple Favor (2018)
Flaunting a similar narrative set-up as Gone Girl, A Simple Favor changes things with its overtones of black comedy and its femme fatale’s focus on fortune and fraud. Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers, a widowed single mother who befriends Emily (Blake Lively), the mother of her son’s best friend. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie teams up with her husband to investigate her past life, unraveling a backstory of deceit and conspiracy that neither of them could have ever expected.
Within its concoction of mystery intrigue, dark hilarity, and the unfurling past life of a criminal mastermind, A Simple Favor presents an infectiously fun experience, a spectacle of scandal and schemes jazzed up with an appetite for laughs and lunacy. It imbues the same sense of enticement that Gone Girl presents with a sinister sense of fun. Amazon Prime Video released a sequel—Another Simple Favor—in 2025, but it didn’t prove to be as rewarding or rollicking a hit as its predecessor.
Vertigo (1958)
Any fan of Gone Girl who hasn’t seen any or many of Alfred Hitchcock’s films would do well to seek out the director’s filmography. The Master of Suspense always had a fantastic talent for incorporating complex and challenging romances into the core of his stories, with Vertigo quite possibly his greatest example of just that. It follows a traumatized former detective who is hired by a friend to investigate his wife’s daily activities. The investigation takes a dark turn when the wife commits suicide, and Scottie (James Stewart) becomes obsessed with the memory of her.
While the film was initially released to a mixed critical reception, it has since come to be viewed as a defining classic of thriller cinema as well as a triumphant highlight of Hitchcock’s career. The tumultuous tale of love, obsession, and desire presents a maddening and overwhelming viewing experience that lingers in the mind long after the film is finished.
Films That Mirror the Tone and Themes of Gone Girl
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the psychological crime thriller that David Fincher directed immediately before he made Gone Girl, so it stands to reason that the pulsating adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s famous novel bears some similarities, especially in tone and character, to his adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s book. A gripping neo-noir mystery, it follows investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he is hired to look into a woman from a wealthy family who went missing 40 years earlier. He collaborates with expert hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a woman with her own complicated and traumatic past.
Visually stunning while being incredibly atmospheric and intense, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo represents the captivating intrigue of mystery thrillers at their absolute best. Its 158-minute runtime is spent wisely, presenting a picture that is always engrossing even when it journeys to some disturbing places. Viewers who enjoy the adaptation would also be advised to watch the 2009 Swedish film that starred Noomi Rapace.
Tell No One (2006)
An underrated film from France that has been overlooked despite its success and critical praise, Tell No One (or Ne le dis à personne in French) takes inspiration from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name. It follows Dr. Alexandre Beck (François Cluzet), a widower still grieving the murder of his wife at the hands of a serial killer from eight years prior. His efforts to put his life back together are destroyed when the bodies of two girls are discovered near his home with evidence implicating him. On the same day, Beck receives an email that indicates his wife may not be dead, leading him to go on the run to find answers.
The whole premise where Beck is framed while searching desperately for answers about what actually happened to his wife is obviously very similar to the viewing experience Gone Girl presents, which makes it an underrated gem perfect for lovers of the Fincher thriller. Tell No One also has the same ability to snatch at the viewers’ suspicions and emotions with a gripping and provocative tale, one that is both heart-pounding and heartbreaking.
Unique Takes on Female Ambition and Crime
Thoroughbreds (2018)
Featuring Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke as the two actresses were on the cusp of bursting into superstardom, Thoroughbreds is both a black comedy and an enthralling psychological thriller that thrives on the talents of its cast. Lily (Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Cooke) are childhood friends who reconnect as teenagers despite having grown apart and taken different routes in life. With the emotionless Amanda harboring violent tendencies, and Lily living under the thumb of her abusive stepfather, the two girls hatch a scheme that will appease both their needs.
In addition to the plot rich with suspense, schemes, and violence, Thoroughbreds also finds a likeness to Gone Girl through its focus on two sublimely wicked female characters who are brilliantly realized through performances as captivating as they are unnerving. It meshes murderous mayhem, dark humor, and even teenage angst together to present a tonally complex yet arresting tale of female rage and revenge.
Side Effects (2013)
An underrated gem of 2010s thrillers, Side Effects sees director Steven Soderbergh in fine form as he delivers a taut, contemplative, and restrained psychological mystery that revolves around corrupt doctors, pharmaceutical conspiracies, and a deadly vendetta. Rooney Mara stars as Emily Taylor, a young married woman suffering from depression who is prescribed a new drug by her psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law). The violent consequences of the prescription lead to a shocking death and a desperate hunt for accountability.
One of the most engrossing aspects of the film is how it goes from being focused firmly on Emily to shifting to Dr. Banks’ perspective, giving heightened stakes to both characters as underlying motivations and twisted truths are gradually unveiled. Running at a relatively tight 105 minutes, Side Effects is a tight and complex thriller that, once it has its hooks in viewers, refuses to let go until the very end. Buoyed by strong performances from all involved and a smart screenplay, it is exactly the brand of thriller lovers of Gone Girl will appreciate.
