30+ Movies Like ‘Gone Girl’ With Twists And Complicated Women

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was nothing short of a literary blockbuster when it was released in 2012. And while the movie didn’t shake up the film landscape the same way the book made domestic thrillers one of the hottest genres around, it still proved to be a modern noir and psychological thriller for the ages. Both the movie and the book are notable for featuring a complicated female protagonist with a twisted plan to get back at her boring and adulterous husband, which leads to some seriously dark twists along the way. If you’re looking for more movies like Gone Girl, then chances are what you’re really after are twisty mysteries with fascinating women at their center (or maybe you’re just really into director David Fincher’s style, which is also a totally valid option). Movies like Knives Out and Shutter Island might also be right up your alley.

Luckily for you, Hollywood is just as obsessed with jaw-dropping mysteries and morally ambiguous women as Flynn is. Truthfully, few film characters can compete with Amy (Rosamund Pike) in terms of deviousness, but even the Golden Age of Hollywood featured films focused on women with questionable motives. So while no one is denying she’s one of a kind, Amy’s in good company when it comes to deliciously devious female characters on the big screen.

Of course, another aspect of Gone Girl‘s appeal lies in the cat-and-mouse game that unfolds between the unhappily married Amy and her husband Nick (Ben Affleck). At first, Nick is concerned something terrible has happened to his wife, but as more and more clues point towards him being guilty of murder, he begins to realize she’s set him up as her killer. What follows is a story of the ultimate toxic marriage as the two fight to maintain the upper hand.

Are you ready for more thriller and mystery films with complicated characters, dark humor, and bombshell endings? Then you need to queue up one of these films like Gone Girl on your next movie night.

Movies Like Gone Girl to Watch on Movie Night

1. The Woman in the Window (2021)

The newest film on this list is Netflix’s The Woman in the Window starring Amy Adams. Like Gone Girl, it’s an adaptation — it’s based on A.J. Finn’s book of the same name — and it centers on an unreliable narrator. Agoraphobic Anna (Adams) lives alone and spends much of her day spying on her neighbors. But when she witnesses what appears to be a murder, she may have no choice but to overcome her fears and venture out into the world to uncover the shocking truth about what happened in the apartment building next door.

2. The Girl on the Train (2016)

The Girl on the Train is a direct descendent of Gone Girl, and yet another movie based on a bestselling thriller novel. The film follows a recovering alcoholic Rachel (Emily Blunt), who spends her days riding the train, which is where she begins to fixate on a couple she sees on her route. One day, she sees the woman kissing someone who isn’t her husband, and Rachel goes to confront her, which leads her down a dangerous path. In addition to having a killer ending, this movie also has an all-star cast which includes Blunt, Justin Theroux, Allison Janney, and Lisa Kudrow.

3. A Simple Favor (2018)

Looking for a mystery with a generous helping of pitch-black humor? Then you need to watch A Simple Favor immediately. This movie stars Blake Lively as the ultimate cool girl, Emily, and Anna Kendrick as Stephanie, a single mom who quickly becomes obsessed with the mysterious glamour of Emily’s life. When Emily disappears one day, Stephanie steps in to comfort her husband and son, but there’s more to her friend’s disappearance than first meets the eye.

4. He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not (2002)

If you only know French actress Audrey Tautou from the adorably quirky 2001 film Amélie then prepare to be shocked by her unforgettable performance in He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not. Told in two parts, this French movie takes you inside the mind of Angélique, an art student who is seemingly having an affair with a married man — and then it shows you what her tragic love story looks like from the perspective of the man she’s in love with. To say anything more would spoil the fun; trust us, this is one movie you should go into knowing as little as possible.

5. The Letter (1940)

Pike is fabulous in Gone Girl, but Hollywood’s original dangerous woman, Bette Davis, will forever be the true thriller queen. Davis was often cast in films where she played morally ambiguous characters, but The Letter is one of her best. In the opening shot of the film, she’s seen shooting a man multiple times, and she later claims he was attempting to assault her. However, the truth is far more complicated and twisted than her story suggests.

6. The Invisible Man (2020)

The Invisible Man is a wild ride from start to finish. It starts with a story that’s human and relatable, like domestic violence. Still, as Elizabeth Moss fights to get away from her scientist boyfriend, he uses his technology to get to her. This film shows us firsthand how dangerous toxic relationships can be with a dash of sci-fi, murder, and mystery that leaves us reeling.

7. I Care a Lot (2020)

Speaking of Gone Girl, Rosamund Pike makes another disturbing (and brilliant) performance. She plays a con artist who makes a fortune taking advantage of the elderly. However, one day she messes with the wrong senior and invites a plague of danger and Russian gangsters to her doorstep. With the help of her girlfriend, the two women fight to save their scheme and make millions.

More Movies Like Gone Girl We Think You’ll Love

1. Inheritance (2020)
2. Shutter Island (2010)
3. Dark Places (2015)
4. The Roommate (2011)
5. Nocturnal Animals (2016)
6. Fatal Affair (2020)
7. The Invitation (2015)
8. Basic Instinct (1992)
9. Gothika (2003)
10. Heathers (1988)
11. The Invisible Guest (2016)
12. To Die For (1995)
13. What Lies Beneath (2000)
14. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
15. A Perfect Murder (1998)
16. The One I Love (2014)
17. Before I Go to Sleep (2014)
18. Orphan (2009)
19. Knives Out (2019)
20. The Gift (2015)
21. Parasite (2019)
22. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
23. Strangers on a Train (1951)
24. Tell No One (2006)
25. I See You (2019)