Thriller "Gone Girl" starring Ben Affleck has snatched the top box office spot at U.S. and Canadian theaters with $38 million.

It's an emotionally charged film about a man suspected of being responsible for his wife's disappearance.

But it was a tight race for first against the evil porcelain doll named "Annabelle" that ranked a close second with $37.2 million.

The horror film is a spin-off from 2013 box office hit "The Conjuring."

Third is last weekend's leading movie "The Equalizer" starring Denzel Washington, collecting $19 million, according to studio estimates.