David Fincher’s films aren’t for the fainthearted, the director has a penchant to tell thrilling tales with mind-bending plots that keep you glued to your seats. Here are 5 movies for Gen Z to watch to fully appreciate the director’s vision.
Celebrated director David Fincher’s distinct voice leaves his audience either in awe or completely dumbfounded – there’s no in-between! His filmography covers an array of genres, but his best work comes out in leaving breadcrumbs for his protagonist and the audience in various psychological thrillers. This year the director has come up with The Killer starring Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin but before we delve deep into the thrilling mysteries of his new world here are five movies to watch to understand his work better.
Seven (Stylized as Se7en)
Counted among the best films in the thriller, crime, and mystery genres, Se7en (1995) is a must-watch if you’re a fan of the true crime genre. Made in 1995, the movie was a surprise hit among fans despite its mature themes, dark cinematography, gore, and excessive violence. It boasts an illustrious cast including Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and John C. McGinley. Se7en follows young officer David (Pitt), who is the new partner of near-retirement detective William (Freeman) as the two attempt to stop a serial killer who is on a spree killing innocent people based on the seven deadly sins.
You can watch it on Apple TV+.
Fight Club
The year 1999 saw the debut of the cult classic, Fight Club, in true Fincher fashion, the movie has the most mind-bending twist wrapped up in slick cinematography and a brilliant screenplay adapted from the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The movie has brilliant performances by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter and follows an unreliable narrator. While the movie had mixed reactions upon its theatrical release it found its audience upon home release. Watch this one for its brilliant cinematography, gripping plot, and narrative that takes sharp twists and turns.
Catch this one on Amazon Prime Video.
Zodiac
In 2007, Fincher tried to recreate the magic of Seven with his interpretation of the Zodiac killer, based on the non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith. The movie set in the late 1960s sees the manhunt for the infamous Zodiac killer in the San Francisco Bay Area and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. among others. The case remains unsolved to this day, however, with Zodiac, Fincher left an undeniable impression on cinema with many contemporary filmmakers finding inspiration in his work.
The movie is available on Showtime.
The Social Network
One of Fincher’s finest movies comes in the form of the 2010 biographical drama The Social Network based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. The movie chronicles the legal drama between Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin showcasing the events through their friendship’s point of view that dates back to their Harvard days. The movie was a critical and commercial hit bagging numerous awards and accolades. The movie is enhanced by impeccable performances of Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker.
You can find the movie on Apple TV+.
Mank
In 2020, Fincher brought another biographical drama, Mank, led by Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried. The movie chronicles screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he develops the screenplay for the 1941 classic Citizen Kane. The movie has been highly praised for its performances, production design, and Fincher’s vision and bagged 10 Academy Award nominations and six Golden Globe Award nominations.
The movie is available on Netflix to stream.
