Summary
Fans ofDavid Fincherwill endlessly debate which of his movies is the best, but in my mind, the only right answer is his 2007 thriller,Zodiac. One of the best Hollywood directors working today,Fincher’s filmography is full of mind-blowingly stellar movies, with maybe three on the list that could be considered sub-par. Yet,he’s only been nominated for three Academy Awards, and he’s never won. He’s uncelebrated, but I think he’s one of the greatest film talents we have.
Even his “bad” movies, likeThe Curious Case ofBenjamin Button, are still visually stunning and tonally unique. Films likeFight Club,Seven, andThe Girl with the Dragon Tattootake time to appreciate. Their dark subjects can make it hard for first-time viewers to wrap their heads around.Benjamin ButtonandThe Social Networkwere instant successes because there’s a sweet romance to the first film and a screenplay by the optimistic Aaron Sorkin in the second to balance Fincher’s grimmer tendencies out. That’s whyZodiacis Fincher’s best movie. It’s pure Fincher but made for a wide audience.
David Fincher: The First & Last Lines From All His Movies
The first and last lines of David Fincher’s movies illustrate his ability to grab the audience’s attention from the start and hold it until the end.
David Fincher Made Zodiac A Masterclass In Filmmaking
Zodiac Combines Fincher’s Technical Mastery With A Gripping Story
Zodiaccombines all of David Fincher’s technical prowess with a gripping story and a sense of tension few other directors are capable of bringing to the screen. Despite running 2 hours and 40 minutes,there’s not a wasted moment inZodiac. It doesn’t matter at what point I turn it on, I’m hooked and certain to stop whatever I’m doing to finish it. As the title suggests,Zodiacis about the manhunt for the real-life Zodiac killer who operated in the Bay Area during the ’60s and ’70s.
David Fincher grew up in San Anselmo in Marin County in the 1960s, meaning he was in the Bay Area when the Zodiac killer was operating and remembers the serial killer as the “ultimate bogeyman” (viaNew York Times).
The film features real reporters and police officers, played by Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., and an ensemble of acclaimed actors. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, whose nonfiction books about the investigation served as Fincher’s source material.
Only in a Fincher film would you see such an in-your-face shot that’s both beautifully composed and horrifying.
There’s a famed sequence of the killer tying up a couple in broad daylight. It’s rightly praised for its disorienting setting, but what really gets me is a shot you don’t see anywhere else. When the male victim asks the killer if there are any bullets in his gun, the shot switches to the victim’s pov. The masked killer comes to the camera and pulls out the clip from his gun,showing the bullets in extreme close-up, as if it’s 3D. Only in a Fincher film would you see such an in-your-face shot that’s both beautifully composed and horrifying.
Zodiac Is The Most Important Performance Of Robert Downey Jr.’s Career
Downey’s Role As Paul Avery Was A Comeback Moment For The Actor
David Fincher’s direction has to be praised for thecritical if not commercial success ofZodiac, but the acting is universally fantastic as well. In particular, Robert Downey, Jr.’s performance of journalist Paul Avery is critical in Downey’s career. It was only in 2003 withGothikathat Downey reentered mainstream Hollywood after his public struggles with substance addiction. Though his career was getting back on track, he still did not have the level of performance he was known for.
Oppenheimer(2023)
Lewis Strauss
Then cameZodiac, where he played the charming Avery. Avery goes from a cool, brilliant reporter into a paranoid recluse andDowney is mesmerizing in both stages of Avery’s life. I sawZodiacafter I sawIron Man, but it’s now clear to me that Downey’s performance inZodiacwas the real tipping point for his career and gave viewers and producers the confidence that he could lead the MCU. Plus, he has the greatest line inZodiacand one I repeat anytime someone orders a weird drink, “This can no longer be ignored. What is that you’re drinking?”
Zodiac
Cast
Zodiac is a crime thriller directed by David Fincher, detailing the true story of the unsolved Zodiac Killer case. Centered on journalist Paul Avery, detective David Toschi, and cartoonist Robert Graysmith, the narrative follows their intersecting paths as they attempt to uncover the identity of the elusive murderer.
