David Fincher is a director I know decently well, but I decided to watch all of his filmography – and I'm genuinely shocked about which movie became my favorite. I am young. It's not that big of a deal, but that means I haven't gotten the chance to view every fantastic movie a director has made. However, in my never-ending quest to become more knowledgeable in the world of film, I have been going on personal journeys to watch certain directors' entire filmographies to understand their art, and Fincher was up next on that list.
I started with Wes Anderson's movies, then moved on to Christopher Nolan's films (with my favorite still being Interstellar). However, I had never given David Fincher a shot.
I had seen a few of his movies before this marathon. Se7en, Fight Club, and Gone Girl were the three I remembered viewing decently well, the last of which I saw in theaters. I also have seen The Social Network, but it was so long ago I didn't even remember most of it.
So, I decided to not only rewatch the ones I'm familiar with but check out the others as well. My favorite actually surprised me – and I have to talk about it.
Gone Girl Used To Be My Favorite – Specifically For Rosamund Pike's Acting
As mentioned in the introduction, Gone Girl was hands down my favorite Fincher film before I watched all of these. Granted, I had never gotten the chance to read the original novel the movie is based on before I watched it, but I was enamored by the film the moment it started.
The story is extremely intriguing, but I'll be honest – I was there for Rosamund Pike's acting. Gone Girl is hands down one of Pike's best movies. She fully dedicates herself to the role, and her performance is iconic. While she's evil in I Care A Lot, there's no denying how menacing and amazing Amy is.
But after watching all of these movies, it's not my favorite anymore. It's good, don't get me wrong, but Fincher's other films have officially taken over.
Alien 3 Was A Decent First Attempt At Directing But It's Not My Favorite
Look, I love horror movies. I like sci-fi horror movies, too. While I enjoy a more psychological story in horror, I can dig sci-fi horror in the right circumstances – and with plenty of popcorn. But Alien 3 was…not it.
I love the first Alien and its sequel, but Alien 3 was just off. Maybe it was because it was Fincher's first time directing a full-length feature, and it certainly had its growing pains. It could be a better story, and the acting isn't my favorite, but the visual effects were good. I'll give it that.
It’s not Fincher’s best, and that is further proven when you consider how it wasn't even his film in the beginning, he took over as the director – he even opened up about what went wrong.
Panic Room, Mank, And The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Are Fine But I Don't Need to Watch Them Again
Honestly, these three movies rank low on the list.
One of them was nominated for Best Picture (Mank), and even then, I still felt surprisingly uninterested while watching Panic Room, Mank, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They all had terrific casts and well-thought-out stories, but they didn't grab me like other Fincher films.
I don't know what it was that didn't capture me. It's not that I don't like slower films, because Gone Girl was one of my favorites, and that movie is slow but in a thrilling way. I think these three just moved a bit too slow, and they didn't have the payoff I was looking for.
These three didn't sit well with me - maybe I'll rewatch these films down the line and enjoy them, but who knows? For now, they sit at the bottom.
Zodiac And The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Were Surprisingly Intriguing, But Not My All-Time Favorites
I had never seen Zodiac or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, most likely because they came out when I was a child, barely ten. But they were super good.
I liked these a million times more than many of Fincher's other films. Zodiac was one of my favorites, especially since I'm a true crime lover who probably spends too much time watching actual crime shows and movies. I've done so much research on the Zodiac Killer that watching a film dedicated to that subject matter was exactly what I needed, and Fincher delivered on that and more.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button caught my attention in a similar way, coming from someone who isn't that big of a romantic drama person. The story of someone aging in reverse is fascinating, and both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett brought excellent performances.
I didn't expect much, but I really enjoyed both of these.
Fight Club and Se7en Will Forever Remain Classics
Fight Club and Se7en were two other movies I had seen before this marathon, and they stood out as iconic entries. There's just something about the late 1990s Fincher that makes me smile.
Fight Club has so many cool behind-the-scenes facts that make this film so enjoyable, and the story still captivates me now; I learn something new every time I watch it. Also, the pairing of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt is actually legendary.
The same is true with Se7en, one of the best horror movies of all time. There are plenty of incredible behind-the-scenes facts about the movie, and don't even get me started on the cast – Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow, all in the same film and rocking it in so many ways. And that twist at the end -- there's nothing like it out there. Nothing that will rock your core as much.
There's so much to love about these two movies. But one movie reigns supreme – one I didn't expect to like as much now as an adult.
However, The Social Network Actually Became My Favorite Out Of All Of Them
I didn't expect to walk out of this marathon loving The Social Network, but here we are.
I saw this movie for the first time years ago, back in my first year of high school. I thought it was fascinating to watch because it talked about Facebook, but I never thought I'd see it again because I didn't have a vested interest at the time.
But now, I appreciate it even more. Not only is the music superb, the cinematography on point, and The Social Network cast some of the best out there (all of whom have gone on to have some pretty awesome careers), but the story makes even more sense now.
In a world where social media has taken over our lives, this movie means more now than anything. It documented the beginning of the information era we live in, and it captured the beginning of how social media would change our world, for better or worse.
It's more relevant than ever, and it's something that everyone needs to watch. Its nomination for Best Picture was well-deserved.
And Now I'm Eager To See What The Killer Will Bring To The Table
With all this in mind, I'm eager to see what David Fincher's next film, The Killer, will bring when it becomes available to those with a Netflix subscription.
From the trailers I've watched and the reactions I've seen, it feels like an amalgamation of several of Fincher's past works combined into one epic movie, which is something I'm always down to see. Now, if November 10 would come sooner, that would be great.
David Fincher has undoubtedly cemented himself in today's film society as a director who will live on forever with his exciting and creative movies that speak to the mind and dazzle the eye most of the time. I didn't quite understand his way of directing until now, after viewing all of his films, and I surprisingly became a huge fan.
I will be hopping on this Fincher train – and I hope there's no stopping after The Killer comes out on the 2023 movie schedule because I need more.
