As mentioned over the weekend, I’ll have a David Fincher-themed list coming your way tomorrow. In the meantime, however, I thought I’d update the poll with a new query.
Fincher has offered up eight feature films in the last 18 years. It’s a healthy portfolio and, I think it’s fair to say, a singular one. I’ve had a blast digging back into his work over the past week or so but I don’t even think I could answer this question fully at the moment. Still a few more re-viewings to go.
Now that “The Social Network” is in theaters, I’ll just put it out to you: What’s your favorite film from the director? Check the left sidebar and pencil in your vote. And feel free to use this space to discuss your pick and others’.
Be sure to check back some time tomorrow for that list, our first in, jeez, three months? We really should knock the dust off that feature.
Comments
76 responses to “POLL: What is your favorite David Fincher film?”
You might want to add a “I don’t like any of his movies” button so I can vote.
The Social Network and Zodiac are about neck and neck for me.
Okay, I haven’t seen TSN, yet (release is next Thursday) but I thought about this question myself, a couple of days ago. I didn’t watch any of his films recently so I might want to change some things next month. Anyways… I’d say:
1. Fight Club
2. Seven
3. Zodiac
4. Benjamin Button
5. Alien 3
6. Panic Room
7. The Game
I have high hopes, that TSN will enter my Fincher Top3
Se7en.
Up until last week it would’ve been “Fight Club” for me, but I’m jumping on that “Social Network” bandwagon now.
Zodiac is incredible! Definitely Fincher’s best!
Fight Club definitely
Seven and Fight Club are definitely the best two. And Social Network is up there on the list.
It’s about time Benjamin Button is put in its place.
1. Zodiac
2. Se7en
3. The Social Network
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Fight Club
6. Panic Room
7. The Game
Considering Fincher walked out on Alien3 because of studio meddling and wasn’t involved in the editing process I don’t think it’s really fair to consider it part of his filmography…
His modern greats- Zodiac and Benjamin Button
Very good- Seven
Decent- Fight Club, Panic Room
*I have not seen The Social Network, it does not come out in Spain for another 2 weeks.
Benjamin Button gets a bad rap, but its themes on aging, nostalgia, and time make it a great film. Fincher did know what he was doing when he made the film. Yes, it may be a little like Forrest Gump, but it improved on Zemeckis’ film. You don’t see people complaining that Toy Story 3 is a rip of off the Brave Little Toaster, so don’t complain Benjamin Button is a rip off of Forrest Gump.
Seven
I’m still wary about “The Social Network”, simply because I haven’t been too keen on any of Fincher’s work. I can sit through his films and maybe even respect them a little, but I tend to just forget about them a few hours later. Similar to Nolan, I find him a bit too clever and po-faced for his own good: “Hey, aren’t I smart? Isn’t this a mind-f*%k? Isn’t it all dark and gritty and sooooo cool?” This may be why I think “Zodiac” is his best so far: it tones down the Fincher-isms while somehow being the most Fincher of all.
I’m seeing The Social Network tonight and Zodiac is a more formally accomplished film, but Fight Club’s impact on my life and how it has grown for me over the 10+ years of its existence pretty much assures it my vote for the best David Fincher film. But who knows, maybe that’ll change tonight.
Glad to see Benjamin Button fairly low on the list. Trust me, John, its near plagiarism of Forrest Gump is the LEAST of its problems. Hopefully that piece of garbage was just an unfortunate mishap in an otherwise impressive career.
I’d be intrigued to hear from the one person (so far, of course) who voted for Panic Room. No such thing as an incorrect opinion and all that, but… wow.
Fight Club, Social Network, Zodiac, Seven, and Panic Room are all ***1/2 to **** efforts. Fight Club is the most vibrant, has the most biting social commentary, and probably the best screenplay (Social Network the only rival there).
The Game and TCCBB are complete misses IMO.
It’s cool to look at the performances in his films- lots of really great ensembles- and plenty who missed with the Academy. Were Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson the first Fincher acting noms? That’s awful. I mean- I even have a soft spot for Kristen Stewart in Panic Room.
The Social Network is leagues above everything else, in my view.
1. “The Social Network” – Need I say anything more?
2. Curious Case of Benjamin Button – I know people think this is one of his weaker films, but I feel it’s an underrated and beautiful film. It’s still one of the saddest films I’ve ever seen, and I enjoy every opportunity I get to see it.
3. Zodiac – I was never able to get completely behind this film, but it still remains an intriguing and intellectual thriller.
4. Fight Club – I remember my dad continuously forbidding me from seeing this film because it promoted violence (I had one of those fathers), only for me to go around his back to see it again and again.
5. Seven – It never quite matches up to the first time you see it, but it’s still a deeply horrific, pit-in-your-gut investigative thriller.
6. Panic Room – I haven’t seen Fincher’s other two films, so this lands at the bottom. Still, I quite enjoyed his quick, energetic direction of the last good film starring Kristen Stewart.
@ Duncan: In respect to Kristen Stewart, Into the Wild and Aventureland are pretty damn good movies.
Fight Club is at number one, but The Social Network has passes Se7en to join Zodiac in the top three.
1. Fight club — i’m remembering watching this the first time and bring wowed by it (one of my favourite film)
2. Zodiac — I loved it, one of the best of the decade extremely underrated
3. Seven — i just love that ending, really enjoyable
4. Social network or the curious case of Benjamin button — i liked both of these film, but could not careless about it.
Forgot to cast my own vote earlier. Heart says “Fight Club.” Head says “Zodiac.”
Heart wins.
Haven’t seen The Social Network yet, but it’ll have to be one hell of a movie to have a shot at cracking the top three:
1. Seven
2. Fight Club
3. Zodiac
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. The Game
6. Panic Room
7. Alien 3
Funny, I’d have sworn someone calling themselves Graysmith would be a “Zodiac” man.
1. Se7en
2. Fight Club
3. The Game
4. The Social Network
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Zodiac
7. Panic Room
8. Alien 3
Really hard, Zodiac and TSN are very close, as are Se7en and Fight club
I said Se7en before. Here’s my ranks:
1. Se7en
2. The Social Network
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Zodiac
5. Panic Room
6. Fight Club (never cared for it as much as others)
— a big gap —
7. The Game
8. Alien 3
The ending kills The Game.
Benjamin button!!!!!!!
Zodiac without a doubt. Then Social Network, followed by Seven. Fight Club, while enjoyable, just doesn’t do it for me like it does for most Fincher fans.
The correct answer is Zodiac.
Off Topic: Tony Gilroy is directing Bourne 4.
Ooooohhh…. Ahhhhhh….
(1) Zodiac
(2) Se7en
(3) The Social Network
(4) Panic Room
(5) The Game
(6) Fight Club (never cared for it either)
(7) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(8) Alien 3
Mehhhhhh.
Here’s my list:
1. Zodiac
2. The Social Network
3. Se7en
4. Fight Club
5. The Game
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Panic Room
8. Alien 3 (Doesn’t really count any way)
Fight Club stays on top because of its scathing social satire. Zodiac is really good at portraying a culture and obsession, but I just can’t put it above Fight Club.
Will see Social Network this coming weekend.
Until then..
1. Fight Club
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Se7en
4. Zodiac
5. The Game
6. Alien 3
7. Panic Room (Would have liked this movie more if Leto and Yoakam weren’t so ridiculous)
Fight Club is a masterpiece. I can watch that film over and over again and get something different out of it every time. The Game is really good too. A tight thriller.
But I have been bored by his films of late. Zodiac totally missed the whole point. If you read the book, you’ll see how that one was completed missed the menacing aspect of the killer.
I’m not that excited for Social Network, as I don’t think cyberspace is that cinematic of a topic. Pasty teenage boys sitting at keyboards is not really my idea of high entertainment. Hopefully the dramatic elements live up to the hype though.
haha, mehhhhhhh what, Kris?
Seven, with Zodiac as an honorable mention.
Note: I have not seen The Social Network yet.
Tyler: The movie isn’t meant to be a blow-by-blow adaptation of the book. Clearly, Fincher is examining themes of obsession and how these killers tap into the obsessive traits of the film’s characters. It’s unfair to penalize Fincher when he clearly has no aim of examining JUST the menacing aspects of the Zodiac killer. While you’re more than welcome to dislike the movie on its own attributes, it seems unfair to knock it for not meeting a goal it never aspired to reach.
You see this all the time with adaptation – who cares if the book or movie is better? I really enjoyed Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Thieves, but the vast changes in The Town didn’t mute my enjoyment of Affleck’s adaptation (small example: Dez is basically as important as Jem in the book and is reduced to about 3 lines in the film). It has to be considered on its own merits independent of the aims of the original source…
I picked Alien 3 because I’ve seen it the most. I’ve always had a fondness for underdog films with character and ambition. Basically I loved it before it was cool to.
Fight Club I consider his masterpiece. There’s a sloppiness to it that’s missing from everything else he’s made subsequently.
Never got on board the Se7en train – I hate, I hate Panic Room. The Game’s copout ending ruins the desire for repeat viewings.
I like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but wish the film could be discussed without the Forest Gump comparisons.
Zodiac and The Social Network are immaculate siblings.
Off Topic: Well, it looks like Snyder got the Superman gig.
I like Fight Club a lot, but I’ve never understand why it’s viewed as his masterpiece by a lot of people. In my opinion, Zodiac and The Social Network are both better films. Not sure at this point which one I’d pick, but I’m leaning towards The Social Network.
I still fail to understand why The Curious Case is hated by so many. It’s definitely not his best film, and I still have only seen it once, but I found it entertaining and moving.
Haven’t seen Social Network yet, but Button and Fight Club are my #1 and #2, and not necessarily in that order. Zodiac’s a somewhat distant third, and I’d have to revisit the rest of the films, because I wasn’t their biggest fan.
Andrew M : R U serious!!!
Backwards I go…
8. “Alien 3.” A beautiful mess, but still a mess. The art direction and cinematography are top-notch, answering to an awful screenplay. In many ways, Jeunet’s underrated “Alien: Resurrection” was better. Not amazing or airtight, but better. *1/2 out of ****
7. “The Game.” The ending ruins this film for me. Michael Douglas is at his all time high, but the film is the height of silliness, despite an extremely cool first act. I’ve just never liked it in the way some others have. ** out of ****
6. “Fight Club.” It’s like a visceral visual masterpiece, unforgettable to the viewer’s eye, but completely inconsequential and plothole-ridden to the brain. Contains some energetic direction, but this is one cult phenomenon I don’t get. ** out of ****
5. “Seven.” For me, “The Silence of the Lambs” was infinitely stronger and more interesting as a highly-charged, extremely disturbing procedural film, but this one suffices due to the fact that, visually, it’s one-of-a-kind. A bit standard, though, if you ask me. **1/2 out of ****
4. “Panic Room.” A kinetic slow-burn, and that phrase has never been used by me before. I admire the film for being genuinely unpredictable, and for showcasing one of Jodie Foster’s finest performances. *** out of ****
3. “The Social Network.” I think it runs into a bit of a problem when looking at it as a piece of storytelling, simply because the nonlinear structure is a tad numbing. Still, it’s a great character study, and Jesse Eisenberg is monumental. *** out of ****
2. “Zodiac.” This is one that’s grown on me. It’s about on the level of “The Silence of the Lambs,” but it’s the “All the President’s Men” answer to Demme’s work. I also think it’s one of the best pieces of direction 2007 had. ***1/2 out of ****
1. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” An old-fashioned Hollywood epic, fast-forwarded to 2008. And it was the most perfect mainstream film the entire decade saw. A film I’ve revisited numerous times. And–ahem–it’s a masterpiece. **** out of ****
never truly been on the fight club bandwagon. for me it’ll always be
3. the game
2. seven
1. zodiac.
Guy,
Haha. I actually took my moniker from Zodiac, but I have to put Seven and Fight Club ahead of it because they were such landmark films for me growing up. If I were to make a list of the specific films that turned me from a casual moviegoer into a movie geek, they would be on that list. I still vividly remember the first time I saw them, which is something I can’t say for most films.
All three are 10/10, 5 stars, A+ movies though.
Zodiac & Seven tie. The Social Network comes right behind them.
1-The Social Network
2- Fight Club
3- Zodiac
4- The Game
5- Se7en
6- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7- Panic Room
8- Alien 3