David Fincher is one of top five directors of all time. As a photographer I have always appreciated his approach to film making, by creating visual enjoyment in all his films. Not only has he created many different types of films, but he also has mastered the style of wowing audiences with intensity, darkness and thrilling edge of your seat storylines. I always view him as a modern-day Alfred Hitchcock, through in his own gritty style. Today I will be ranking all 10 of his feature films.
11. Alien 3 (1992) = Alien 3 was Fincher’s first film and though it had a lot of potential it flopped due to unfortunate studio interference. This project became less of the director's vision and more a way to sell more products for Christmas. Though made well, this 3rd in the series lacks the strength of the previous two films and rather is more memorable for Sigourney shaving her head for the role. Regardless, Fincher tried his hardest to make a moody, scary sci-fi treat, and it works about 60% of the time.
10. The Game (1997) = The Game is a well-made Fincher film, however suffers from what most films did in the 90s, defying the span of logic by plugging the plot-holes with those 'it just so happens' moments. The premise is something you would see in a film-noire but with a bit more punch but overall it seems to be the most unlikely plotline of all his films, even Alien 3.
9. Zodiac (2007) = The premise of Zodiac is strong, in that a real-life unsolved murder case can always be exciting. The film, though wonderfully shot and acted, is slightly too long. Because it is so long and the story deviates into the main characters marriage and life problems, my attention span started to wane. The weakest part of the film is that none of the actors seem to age, regardless of the fact the film takes place over a span of 15 years.
8. Panic Room (2002) = Panic Room offers a very Hitchcock flare to a modern film. All shot in one location, the movie examines fear through the unknown. The underlying humour lies in the expertise of the villains as their plan systematically continues to fall apart throughout the film due to the protagonists’ quick thinking. At first, I was not a fan of Kristen Stewart’s angst daughter in relation to Jodie Foster’s cold and distant Mother, but upon re-watching it really works. They seem like the emotional product of a family being torn apart by divorce.
7. Mank (2020) = A biographical film of the career of Herman J. Mankiewicz, mostly focused on the writing of Citizen Kane, considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. It’s interesting that Fincher decided to shoot the film like an Orson Welles picture, despite the fact that Mank himself only worked with Welles once, but it creates a unique surreal flare which makes it more of an enjoyable watch. I will say though at times the pacing is quite slow, but the cinematography makes up for this in spades.
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) = A beautiful, sometimes touching but mostly horrifying film. Rooney Mara beautifully captures the character of Lisbeth, a gothic girl with Asperger’s working for a magazine mogul (Daniel Craig). Through their research the two quickly fall into a world of secrets, suspicion and murder. Despite being completely in English, you really feel as if you are in the cold landscape of Sweden with the sharp and complex personalities of each character. The best part is that the film is scored by Fincher’s long-time collaborators, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) = It’s interesting that I had not seen this film sooner, mostly because of the mixed reviews as well the idea of sitting and watching a three-hour film about 'growing young' did not appeal to me. However, I am glad I finally took the time to watch and analyse this wonderful film. An adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of a man who is born old and regresses in age. Brad Pitt's performance as the title lead is effortless, and Cate Blanchett proves why she is one of Hollywood's A-listers. Overall, I felt a sense of warmth for the movie and I praise the rich and soft colour pallet the film uses.
4. Fight Club (1999) = A stellar and amazing film from David Fincher. Over the years this film has managed to stay relevant and powerful. The film is based on the excellent novel by Chuck Palahniuk and focuses on an unnamed man, played by Edward Norton and his nihilistic views that grow stronger once he meets a soap salesman, played by Brad Pitt. The two form a fight club which has anarchist tendencies. Pitt and Norton's chemistry together is some of the strongest I have seen in a film and Fincher’s vision is as brutal and frantic as the book.
3. The Social Network (2010) = A dark and humble look at the beginning of Facebook and the in-fighting between the people responsible for the World's biggest social media network. Excellent performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. The film has been cited as Fincher’s best work, I disagree as I see it more as a relevant film for our time and an interesting story. The only weakness I find is the acting of singer Justin Timberlake, who like most musicians is not as strong a performer on screen.
2. Gone Girl (2014) = Gone Girl reflects how a marriage can be destroyed with lies and deceit, but what really works about this film is how each character is as despicable as the next. Fincher beautifully executes the emotional red-herrings, and Rosamund Pike's portrayal as Amy is beyond words. Director Tyler Perry, who stars in this picture really wowed me with his acting chops, as before this I had only seem him in drag in his Medea films. I was pleasantly surprised to him play a serious character.
1. Seven (1995) = No holds bar, Seven is one of my favourite films of all time. It contains probably some of the most iconic cinematic ideas to date with state-of-the-art gory special effects. Again, Brad Pitt stars as a newly transferred New York City detective who is thrown into the middle of serial killer’s rampage. I would say that David Fincher created his career on this movie and though he has created beautiful and stylized film since, Seven is his most captivating. The casting, acting, emotion and grit in this neo-noir masterpiece makes it his best.