HBO Max Finally Brings Back One of David Fincher’s Greatest Thrillers

David Fincher is, without a doubt, one of the best and most talked about directors of the last two decades. Known for films that are both dark and stylish that explore complex, existential themes and flawed characters, Fincher has made a name for himself across a range of genres starting with is feature film debut Alien 3 in 1993. While one of his best films is widely regarded to be 2010’s The Social Network, one of his thrillers also receives a lot of praise and now, it’s finally returned to streaming — now on a new platform.

After having previously been streaming on Hulu, Fincher’s 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl is now streaming on HBO Max. The film, an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film is, to date, Fincher’s highest-grossing film and perhaps one of his darkest to date.

Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne (Affleck) who becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife Amy (Pike). However, as the story unfolds, it turns out that nothing is quite as it seems and there’s so much more to Amy’s disappearance than one would suspect. The film is a chilling tale of marital collapse, gender dynamics within a marriage, and manipulation. It’s masterfully acted in addition to being just very well-made and is easily one of Fincher’s best films.

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Fincher Made a Major Casting Change For Gone Girl (And He Was Right)

When Gone Girl was first in development, Reese Witherspoon was initially attached to star in the adaptation as Amy and even received the approval of Flynn. However, Witherspoon later exited the project while it was still in the development stage with Pike ultimately taking the role. Witherspoon recently revealed that it was Fincher how intervened, saying she was wrong for the role.

“David sat me down — and this is not on David — but David’s like, ‘You’re totally wrong for this part, and I’m not putting you in it,” Reese said in a recent episode of the Las Culturistas podcast. “I had all these conversations with the writer Gillian Flynn, and she was like, ‘No, I’d really like you to do it.’ … But [Fincher] was like, ‘You’re wrong.’”

In retrospect, Fincher was right about his assessment. While Witherspoon is certainly capable of playing complex and even dark characters, Pike’s performance as Amy is truly chilling, giving the character a detached cool that is methodical and deeply unsettling while somehow managing to at times be eerily sympathetic. The performance was so strong that it rightly earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Gone Girl is now streaming on HBO Max.