Dark Places Movie Review

I love any and all of Gillian Flynn’s novels because they are creep as F. Seriously, how does she come up with this stuff? Anyway, I have had the premiere for Dark Places marked on my calendar for MONTHS. One day I was browsing the On Demand section of DirecTV and noticed that Dark Places was listed as a new release. I was really confused because per my calendar, it wasn’t due to come out for several weeks. Turns out, DirecTV had some doing in the production so it came out on DirecTV first. Awesome for me! I got to see it way earlier than what I expected. I balked at the price of it at first ($7.99 for a 3 day rental), but then remembered that I originally planned on seeing it in theaters (where a ticket would be at least $10).

The cool thing about the movie is that it was a lot easier to figure out who did it. My husband has never read Dark Places (or any Gillian Flynn novel, for that matter), so he had no idea what he was getting into. Let me preface this by saying that he really isn’t a big movie watcher or book reader because he hates sitting still for long periods of time because he has a short attention span. While watching Dark Places, he was HOOKED. I only had to do minimal explaining regarding the plot, but he was able to get a good solid theory of who the murder was about half way through. When I read the book, I honestly couldn’t make heads from tails with what was going on because it was SO much. I love the way Gillian Flynn writes because she throws in so many little details that you get confused and forget about small things, then the ending happens and BAM all that stuff you forgot is right there in your face. Overall, the book translated very well to screen. Even if you haven’t read the book (which you need to RIGHT NOW) or plan on watching the movie with someone who hasn’t read it, it is still a good choice. Some things may be slightly confusing, but if you really pay attention (especially to the flash backs) then you can figure things out pretty easily.

One of my favorite things about the movie is how they handled present time versus flashbacks. There are a LOT of different POVs when it comes to the flashbacks, so it could have easily gotten muddled and confusing. It was directed very well and is easy to follow if you are watching Libby’s mom, Libby, or Ben’s flashback. For present time, it stays in Libby’s POV. In the book, I really liked how Gillian Flynn counted down to the night of the murder from the beginning. In the movie, it isn’t as clear as that (for example, in the book it would say Two Days before the murder) but you don’t feel like you are missing anything.

Charlize Theron killed it as Libby. I really had my doubts about her, because in the book, Libby is described as being this small statured angry woman. Charlize Theron is very tall, and I personally have not seen her in a dark role like this. SHE KILLED IT. She completely embodied Libby and all the anger that she carried. She was able to show all the emotions that Libby carried in her head, but never really showed on the outside. I think overall I really liked all of the casting. Chloe Grace Mortez was creepy as F as Deondra. I really love where her acting career is going and think this movie only added to her already stellar resume.

4/5 stars

xoxox 
-Leah

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother in jail.
Since then, she had been off. Barely making ends meet or even getting out of bed. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced that Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard that night Ben's? Was Ben even capable of murder? As she uncovers the truth she's been avoiding her whole life she begins to realize that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. But that being said...

Who did massacre the Day family?

Holy Balls! This book had my emotions all over the place. Dark Places is just that... Dark. And much like Gone Girl this book had so much mystery in it. Gillian Flynn has this creepy amazing way of writing creepy and amazing stories. Dark Places had me hooked from page one. The way she had the main character Libby talk was in itself something worth reading. Gillian basically tortures readers for 350 pages just a FYI! 

 

Dark Places is one of those books that is so hard to write a review on without giving anything away... I think the best way to describe this book is by comparing it to Clue the board game... You know all the players involved, you know all the settings, and you know all the weapons. You are given little clues here and there and you have your little card to check off what you think... The Who, What, When, Where, and even the Why. Gillian give you pieces of a whole, much like the game. Sometimes she reveals that it was the candlestick, and sometimes your shown its professor plum. But you still have no idea what the real answer is until you're so close to the end of the game that you finally are begging to open that little envelope and see what the final answer is.... That's exactly how Dark Places was. I spent 99% of the time coming up with all these crazy theories... 

All I can say is that every single one of my theories were both right and wrong at the same time. Gillian plays out the novel in such an amazing way. Bouncing from the present to the past, and never letting on more than she needed too. I hate when books do this too, not in the case of Dark Places. I was craving the flashbacks I needed them. I wanted to know more about their mother, and father, and Ben. God did I want to know what was up with him! And like I said above, Libby was AMAZING! Such a well written and confusingly like-able character. You really don't want to like her but at the same time you're kind of cheering her on. But Libby isn't just a victim, she has plenty of dark secrets and mystery to her as the next person in her family.

“There are few phrases that annoy me more than I won't bite. The only line that pisses me off faster is when some drunk, ham-faced dude in a bar sees me trying to get past him and barks: Smile, it can't be that bad! Yeah, actually, it can, jackwad.” 

The only thing that kept this book from being a perfect ten star book for me was some of the ending. It got a little jumbled to the end, but that being said was still completely mind blowing. When the big reveal happens you'll more than likely have your jaw dragging on the floor like I did. Dark Places was amazing.

I can't wait to see this movie in theaters! If you haven't had a chance to read this book please do so before the movie comes out! I know Leah and I will be there opening day clinging to the edge of our seats!

9.5/10 Stars 

-Angela