Read this before you watch Gone Girl

What exactly is Ben Affleck doing in Gone Girl? We'll tell you.

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is a bonafide bestseller, a crackling read with a he-said/she-said narrative that unfolds rather breathlessly indeed.

Now, with ace director David Fincher’s adaptation of the novel out for release, here -- for those who haven’t read the book yet -- is a primer on the main characters in the upcoming film, which releases on October 23. (Just so you can pretend you’ve read the book before having watched the adaptation.)

Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne

The book begins with Nick Dunne waking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary and soon realising that his wife is missing.

His life is turned upside down and -- because his marriage wasn’t a particularly great one -- many a finger of suspicion is pointed in his direction.

Played by Ben Affleck in the film, Nick is plaintive about his innocence... but there are definitely things he’s hiding.

 

Rosamund Pike as Amy Elliot-Dunne

Through the diary of the missing woman, we learn that Amy tried her best to put up with her life with Nick, but things gradually got more nightmarish.

Does that, however, mean Nick would actually go so far as to kill Amy?

Rosamund Pike plays this brightly intelligent, oft-misunderstood character.

 

Carrie Coon  as Margo Dunne

Carrie Coon plays Margo Dunne, Nick’s sister. She’s close to her brother and the two run a bar together. She firmly believes Nick couldn’t actually have hurt Amy.

But as the story continues, she finds herself increasingly wary of her brother.

 

Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings

One of Amy’s ex-boyfriends, Desi is a highly sophisticated fellow who has -- despite the distance and her marriage -- stayed devoted to Amy. When the search for her begins, he’s one of the first people to show up. But does he have something to hide?

Collings, a key character in the book, is played by Neil Patrick Harris.

 

Emily Ratajkowski as Andie Hardy

Amy, of course, is far from being the only one with people in the closet they’d rather nobody knew about.

Andie -- played by model Emily Ratajkowski -- is somebody Nick has gotten close to over the last few months, perhaps a bit too close.

 

David Clennon and Lisa Banes as Rand and Marybeth Elliott

Amy’s parents loved her so much they wrote a bestselling children’s book series ‘about’ their daughter, dubbing her Amazing Amy. That is, however, a tough tag to live up to.

David Clennon and Lisa Banes play Amy’s parents in the film.

 

Tyler Perry as Tanner Bolt

The one thing a murder suspect (or a murderer, depending on where you’re standing) needs is a helluva lawyer, and the hotshot Nick hires is Tanner Bolt, the sharkiest of sharks, played by Tyler Perry. But is that enough to save Nick?