David Fincher's films ranked worst to best
- Christian Childress
- Jan 21, 2018
- 7 min read
In honor of David Fincher being my favorite living filmmaker, I figured why not rank his films from worst to best for my first feature on this here website.
Fincher started his film career in 1992 with the notorious Alien3. Since then, Fincher has risen to an elite group of directors working in Hollywood. He's likely frightened, satisfied or infuriated you in the years since his debut. Many have tried to imitate Fincher over the years, but few have achieved his level of success at the box office or critically.
Here's my ranking of the directors films from worst to best.
10. 'ALIEN 3'
Fincher's first feature length directorial attempt is easily his worst. Over the years, Alien 3 has gained a reputation for being an absolute disaster. Thinking back it's a minor miracle that the studio hired Fincher at such a young age to follow-up Alien & Aliens. The premise of putting Ripley on a prison planet is interesting, but studio interference never allowed Fincher the creative control to do what he wanted. Instead we're given a film that single-handedly almost killed the entire franchise and Fincher's career simultaneously.
Fincher in the years since has essentially disowned the film completely, and who can really blame him? But, there is a "assembly" cut that is available now that was put together from Fincher's notes after he was put in directors jail. It's still not a great film, but one worth checking out.
9. 'THE GAME'
To be totally honest, The Game is the only Fincher film that I truly don't care for. It's an odd story about a banker who is roped into this mysterious game by his brother, played rather poorly by Sean Penn. It's a film that is constantly disguising itself and what the motivation behind it is. For me, it feels like the story should've been told in a novel rather than a film.
Yet, Fincher shows a natural flair for misdirection and not really giving a shit about an audiences expectations for where the story may go. Is this whole film just a drawn out metaphor about how life itself is a twisted game or something deeper? Something more deranged? I still haven't figured it out after multiple viewings.
8. 'PANIC ROOM'
"I didn't look at Panic Room and think, "Wow, this is gonna set the world on fire". These are footnote movies, guilty pleasure movies. Thrillers. Woman-trapped-in-a-house movies. They're not particularly important." -David Fincher
Fincher hits the nail on the head here. Panic Room is a ridiculous film, just look at Jared Leto up there with his corn rows or pre-Twilight K-Stew. Panic Room has one goal in mind, to entertain the audience with nonsense. Here is the entire plot, I apologize for the spoilers. Three men attempt to break into a rich woman's home. Rich woman hears the men break in. Rich woman and sick daughter hide in very well protected panic room. WHAT WILL HAPPEN? I'll never tell. But, it's low-key pretty great.
7. 'THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON'
'The Curious Case of Bejamin Button' really doesn't fit into Fincher's filmography. In fact, it really sticks out when you look at them side by side. A love story featuring Brad Pitt born an old man and aging backwards. I'll be honest, it took me a few viewings before I was able to truly enjoy this one. But, it really is a beautiful film (not just visually). The idea of constantly being out of place in the world and aging backwards is a fascinating one. Sure, it's an easy movie to make fun of. But, I'd give it another shot if you haven't lately. It's surprisingly heartfelt and deserves more praise than it recieves.
Side note: I'm sorry about how the formatting of this section is. I have no idea why it looks different. Be patient with me as I figure out this website formatting business.
6. 'FIGHT CLUB'
You can go ahead and forget the rules. We're talking about Fight Club. You know it, the movie your fourteen year old nephew is suddenly obsessed with. The one where Brad Pitt is the ultimate badass? Or is it Edward Norton? I don't know, I've already confused myself.
Fight Club is without a doubt a great movie and probably the one people will most associate with Fincher. The way that it examines masculinity, capitalism and ultimate boredom. Or how it has become a staple for pissed off men across the world in the almost two decades since it's release. There is no denying the lasting power of Fight Club in film history. It contains one of the great twists (at the time) in cinema history, an all time performance by Brad Pitt and some stylistic choices that filmmakers will copy fifty years from now. Some may say that I have this too low in my rankings, they may be right. This is the point in the list where everything becomes rather interchangeable. Regardless, I love Fight Club and would definitely join one in hopes of running into Tyler Durden.
5. 'GONE GIRL'
Remember when Gone Girl first came out? There was so much hype. Some of us had read the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport bestseller beforetime and had an idea of what to expect. Others such as my father were not ready. When the film first came out I wrote this about it, "No one does fucked up quite like Fincher. That being said, I fucking loved this."
My thoughts haven't changed much since I wrote that. 'Gone Girl' is the perfect don't go to see this on your first date movie. Imagine you're sitting there and you peek over and see this stranger that your barely know loving every second of Ben Affleck being framed for murder. No, thank you. Not seeing that person again. But, 'Gone Girl' is more than just a good thriller. It's an excellent exploration of how the media sensationalizes stories and how we're influenced by public perception and group think. Ever watch Fox and Friends? What do you think is happening there? Okay, that's besides the point. But, hopefully you get what I'm saying. 'Gone Girl' is a great movie, not because it's incredibly entertaining, it is. But, because it gives us a mirror to look into and see what some of us are truly capable of.
4. 'THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO'
Ahhhh 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', number two on our Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport bestseller turned film adaptation projects. This is a very dark film, let's go ahead and get that out of the way. It's also one of the underrated films of the decade in my opinion.
It features a career making turn by Rooney Mara as a tortured orphan computer hacker, Daniel Craig as a disgraced journalist and Christopher Plummer as the head of a family in a Swedish winter wonderland where there might be a few nazis hanging around. Wow, that was an impressive run-on sentence. The point is that if you combine all these things with Fincher's direction and a score by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor you get brilliance. It's the perfect film to watch around Christmas time with the whole family!
3. 'THE SOCIAL NETWORK'
I should start off by saying that 'The Social Network' is a pretty sad movie. It's a film focused on greed, betrayal and loneliness. What an exciting combo! But, somehow it makes it one. Maybe it's the perfect casting? Maybe it's the captivating script written by Aaron Sorkin? Or maybe it's because this is the film that helps to define a generation.
I believe the answer is a combination of all three. 'The Social Network' to me is an undeniable masterpiece. It made the story of Facebook's creation absolutely fascinating. It created stars out of Andrew Garfield and Rooney Mara. Also, let's get this out of the way real quick. IT LOST BEST PICTURE TO THE ARTIST??? Are you kidding me? What a horrific decision. One that shouldn't be forgiven. I'm sorry, I needed to get that off my chest. Anyways, back to the original thought here. 'The Social Network' is essential viewing. Not due to any of the reasons I listed above. Not because it cemented David Fincher as one of the all time great directors. No. You should watch it simply because it's a damn good movie. Case closed.
2. 'ZODIAC'
I've seen 'Zodiac' far too many times, an unhealthy amount of times to watch a film about a notorious serial killer. Yet, it's just as engaging now as ever. 'Zodiac' is in many ways the essential Fincher film. It's an exploration of investigations, obsession and full on paranoia.
The story itself not only provides the perfect showcase for some of today's best actors, but also for the entire crew. Fincher has proven time and time again that he understands deeply fractured characters. But, with 'Zodiac' he digs so deep into the psyche of these characters that he's proven to be a master of psychology and motivation in his films. 'Zodiac' may not be the crowning achievement of Fincher's career. But, if I'd written this tomorrow instead I may have said otherwise.
1. 'SEVEN'
'Seven' is a depraved movie. I'll be the first one to admit that. It's about a serial killer who is obsessed with the seven deadly sins, how could it not be depraved? But, it's also a film that is filled with so many perfect moments. Whether it's the chase scene, Morgan Freeman laughing until he chokes at a train or Spacey's entrance.
'Seven' is also a perfectly paced and written movie. It features Brad Pitt's best performance, Fincher's boldest directorial choices and one of the great endings of all time. It's the best film Fincher has ever made and that's strictly due to the line "WHAT'S IN THE BOX?".
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