Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), move from New York City back to his hometown of North Carthage, Missouri, where, with money from Amy's trust fund, he opens a bar. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick reports that Amy has gone missing.

Although at first he has support in his quest to find her, Nick eventually becomes a suspect in her disappearance and possible murder, especially when he's questioned by the police and gives a much different view of his marriage than what they find in Amy's journal. To top it off, the police find out he's been having an affair.

Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn.