Amy Elliott Dunne: The Greatest Female Villain of All Time

When I first watched the film GONE GIRL (dir. David Fincher), I was unconvinced. Gillian Flynn’s book was so close to my heart, and no movie adaptation could possibly have satisfied me. I found Ben Affleck as Nick too sympathetic, whereas in the book I was nearly rooting for Amy’s victory. However, having just re-watched the film, I can honestly say that it is nearly perfect. Rosamund Pike’s performance as Amazing Amy chills me to my core, and as true as her infamous ‘Cool Girl’ monologue may be, the loss of her “person suit” in the third act makes her the most captivating on-screen psychopath since Hannibal Lecter.

Reminiscent of a more-controlled Glenn Close in FATAL ATTRACTION, Rosamund Pike effortlessly captures Amy Dunne’s masterful destructive power. Her flawless plan, her casual decision to take her own life in her quest for revenge, and her subsequent killing of Desi Collings, all paint a picture of a cold-blooded murderess with no capacity for remorse. Desi, however, is an interesting counterpoint to Amy. Yet his need to control and possess Amy is no match for her need for control over herself. Amy Elliott Dunne cannot be trapped; she refuses to be under circumstances that are not of her own making, which was the catalyst for her systematic destruction of her husband, Nick.

With the loss of her trust-fund, and after moving to Missouri to help care for Nick’s mother, for the first time in her life Amy was without agency. As the ‘Cool Girl’ facade Nick fell in love with began to fade, Amy realized she was losing control over him as well, with the realization of his infidelity. Using the skills she developed framing Tommy O'Hara for rape, she perfectly orchestrates Nick’s arrest and almost-conviction for her murder. Only after proving his own ability to manipulate, and deference to her authority, does Amy return to him.

In the novel I felt as if they deserved each other; they were two screwed up people and yet a match for each other. But the film creates even more of a sense of dread around Nick being trapped in a house with Amy at the film’s conclusion. I fear for his safety, and the safety of their child. A true feeling of horror washed over me seeing Nick cower in the corner of a dark room, clutching their cat close to his chest, as Amy sleeps peacefully in the next room. As far as horror in GONE GIRL goes, I would be remiss not to mention Desi’s death scene, one of the most graphic sex/murder scenes in cinematic history.

Seeing the blood pour over Amy’s face, and the exhilaration she feels watching Desi die, solidifies your assumption as a viewer that Amy is truly capable of anything. Not only does she lie, manipulate, frame, and reconstruct herself so easily, but she is a killer. While there is something empowering about Amy Elliott Dunne, despite her...problematic behavior, she honestly scares me. Almost a less sadistic, Americanized Asami from AUDITION, Amazing Amy has become a household name for a reason.

I’m sure some would argue with me over whether GONE GIRL could even qualify as a horror film, however, I would counter by saying that blurring the line between horror and thriller is what many Fincher films do best. SEVEN and ZODIAC both walk this same line. If Amy Elliott Dunne is not a straight-up horror character, then I don’t know what is. While I wish the film made me doubt Nick’s innocence as successfully as the novel, it encapsulates the spirit of Amy in all of her horrifying glory.