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Reviews Counted:164
Fresh:154
Rotten:10
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Ben Affleck proves his directing credentials in this gripping dramatic thriller, drawing strong performances from the excellent cast and bringing working-class Boston to the screen.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Apr 17, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $20,300,218
Synopsis: Based on the novel by MYSTIC RIVER author Dennis Lehane, GONE BABY GONE marks the directorial debut of actor Ben Affleck. Featuring a solid cast that includes Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and... [More]
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris
Director: Ben Affleck
The first serious foray into directing by Ben Affleck, who reinforces his creative talents by good storytelling and dense mood establishment. Brother Casey Affleck threatens to overshadow his sibling in the acting department.
Top CriticThe Affleck boys finally earn their stripes as cinematic artists
Gone Baby Gone is an argument for obligation over accommodation, the absolute over the contingent.
Affleck proved that his Good Will Hunting moment wasn't an aberration, and he also showed that he didn't need Matt Damon in tow to make a great movie.
After seeing Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, I can honestly say that he has finally found his true calling in Hollywood.
Great job, everyone! The ride overall is solid and gripping, and very enjoyable despite the glimpses at the horrors of which the human animal is capable.
Back, baby, back. An excellent police procedural and a personal triumph for Ben Affleck, steering his younger brother to a performance that deserved louder applause from gong juries.
A powerful, provocative and excellently acted thriller that could literally have been torn from today's headlines.
Flawed but impressive.
A superior, haunting thriller of abduction, deception and ethical dilemma with a sobering ending - a moral quandary that demands strong debate outside the cinema.
Top CriticAn unusually patient approach to storytelling sets Ben Affleck's directorial debut apart, as he allows events to unfurl gradually.
To this day, six months after seeing the film for the first time, I still do not know the answer to one of the biggest moral dilemmas I have ever seen. Casey Affleck's character has to make a decision at the end of this film that just blew my mind.
...a far more accomplished and flat-out compelling piece of work than anybody could've expected.
The structure and layered storytelling make Gone Baby Gone richly satisfying. [Blu-Ray review]
... Ben Affleck is probably the last person most people thought capable of crafting such a perfectly realized movie, especially on his first time at bat.
Ben Affleck creates an authentic tone for the city of Boston, and then he gets great performances out of Casey Affleck, Ed Harris and the rest of the cast.
Forgive him for Gigli.
The reason why Gone Baby Gone works so well is the attention to which Boston is portrayed. The urban neighbourhood is like another character in an already strong cast, one that has needs and desires just like everyone else.
...count Gone Baby Gone among the better crime thrillers of 2007.
A crime thriller that redefines how character-centered stories can be approached.
June 12, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Trio Fail to Break Top Two
The unlikely triumvirate of Prom Night, Gone Baby Gone and Superhero Movie all failed to make much of an impression in a market place still dominated by sex, cities, whips and... More...
June 04, 2008:
RT Interview: Ben Affleck Goes After the Critics for a Change
The actor-turned-director on Gone Baby Gone, his relationship with reviewers and, erm, his favourite critical aggregator... RT! More...
February 11, 2008:
RT on DVD: The Brothers Affleck Lead the Pack With Gone Baby Gone
One of the best films of last year comes to DVD this week (Gone Baby Gone, written and directed by Ben Affleck, starring brother Casey Affleck), but there are tons more to pick... More...
February 08, 2008:
Laced with an abundance of logical red herrings, this marvelous, meticulously-twisted thriller is guaranteed to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat right up to its shocking conclusion. 
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