Selfishly, I am a more mature movie watcher in 2023 than when I first saw Se7en. I understand Fincher more in 2023 than I ever did before. Having watched all the Fincher movies in preparation for The Killer, the plastered Fincher self-referential therapy aesthetic of this movie makes it incredibly fun to talk about.

Perhaps it is trying to avoid recency bias, or perhaps it is justified, but The Killer comes in at the number eight slot in my Fincher rankings. It clearly passes by the first five I have ranked, but then it runs into the brick wall of Se7en. 

I can’t get past the ending of Se7en and the ending of The Killer. One is remarkably rewatchable, and one is a great think piece. One has a slightly optimistic ending, and the other has less than zero optimism. I am a glutton for punishment and for stories that end with human behavior being put in the grave. 

So The Killer sits at eight, but obviously these rankings are fluid and will change over time. 

If you missed all my rankings, they are below, with the addition of The Killer.

13. Rick Springfield: The Beat Of The Live Drum

Director: David Fincher
Starring: Rick Springfield
IMDB

Listen, we are in the trust tree here. I have no idea who Rick Springfield is. I simply watched this movie so I can see every movie that FIncher has directed. I want to get as close to that 100% on Letterboxd, but I know that the Love Death + Robots is going to keep me from it.

For those who are curious. Rick Springfield: The Beat Of The Live Drum is a concert movie with small vignettes woven in. The concert portion is standard, from whatever standard stuff I have seen. But the short films integrated in are worth watching because it’s Fincher. Now, again in the trust tree, not all of them are good.

In terms of this viewing experience…well most of the music had some good beats and vibes. It is very 80s, strong synth no doubt. I can’t give this movie a grade because I am listening more than watching intently. . 

The one visual aspect of the movie I can’t stop thinking about. Rick Springfield may be an elite shoulder shimmy dancer.

Academy Award Nominations: N/A
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: N/A

12. Alien 3

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Vincent Ward
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Paul MnGann, Holy McCallany, Lance Henriksen
Release Date: May 22, 1992
IMDB

It is rather jarring to watch a David Fincher movie that doesn’t work. After the stunning success of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), the third Ripley story in this science fiction trilogy takes a major step backwards.

It is well documented that the process of making Alien 3 was difficult, to say the least. The massive producer and studio influence nearly derailed Fincher from his illustrious career before it even started. Thankfully Sigourney Weaver came to the verbal defense of Fincher and producer Arnold Kopelson noted Fincher’s talent despite the mess and worked to get him his next project, Se7en (1995).

So is Alien 3 recommendable? In all honesty, it’s not. Unless you are a Fincher fanatic or a Xenomorph super fan, Alien 3 is not worth the time. There are slight imprints of Fincher’s skill smudged across the screen in snippets, but there is no evocative mood that Fincher is well known for creating.

Academy Award Nominations: Best Visual Effects (1)
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: D+

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

11. The Game

Director: David Fincher
Writers: John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Staring: Michael Dougles, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Release Date: September 12, 1997
IMDB

I wish I liked this more. I really do. Before I started this fantastic rewatch research assignment, I noticed I had a very low grade on The Game. Now I was absurd with my first grade, but still upon rewatch, I don’t love it. Dare I say, I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone.

If you told me that I was getting a Fincher movie starring Michael Douglas as a greedy financial worker, I am automatically going to bite down on that tasty idea. I am immediately thinking about how Fincher is going to twist something about greed or make a unique horror version of Wall Street (1987).

We don’t really get any of that. The Game is not a bad movie by any means, but it doesn’t feel like a David Fincher movie. There is no grand entrance. There are very few lingering shots and points of existential dread. There are very few visual shots that absolutely wowed. The Game is a very competently made mystery thriller, but it lacks the imagination and truly engaging characters of Panic Room.

Also want to point out the neon colored stress inducing artwork inside of the home of Nicholas Van Orton. Is this something that inspired Orphan (2009)? That scene and artwork went viral for a bit and is immediately recognizable. Does The Game get any credit for that?

Academy Award Nominations: N/A
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: B-

Rating: 3 out of 5.

10. Mank

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Jack Fincher
Staring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Charles Dance
Release Date: December 4, 2020
IMDB

During this rewatch (and watch) project I assigned myself, there was going to be at least one big after in my estimation. Unfortunately for the most die-hard of Hollywood history lovers, Mank is sliding into the slot of sadness.

Gary Oldman is great. That is not changing. Gary Oldman is still worthy of his Academy Award nomination. I am not taking that away. That is here to stay.

The problem with Mank is that it has the highest level of entry. You need to really love old Hollywood. You need to have some sense of the old Hollywood system, and an extra appreciation for Citizen Kane makes the movie far more enjoyable. 

I consider myself a movie guy, but the fast-talking and name-tossing pace of Mank is intoxicating to a point of dizziness. You wouldn’t and can’t be upset if someone says they are confused as to what is exactly happening.

Part of enjoying Mank is knowing that you are watching for an outstanding performance and a meandering story that acts more as a retrospective therapy session than a crowd pleaser. 

Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Directing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actress (10)
Academy Award Wins: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design (2)

Stanko Rating: B

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

9. Panic Room

Director: David Fincher
Writer: David Koepp
Staring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, Patrick Bauchau
Release Date: March 29, 2002
IMDB

Panic Room is one of the few Fincher movies where you don’t need to think a ton. The premise is rather simple, but that doesn’t mean that ingenuity and creativity go by the wayside. There are visual shots from Panic Room that stick with me more than some of his greatest projects.

Also love seeing Fincher work with a smaller cast is fun to see. There are five, maybe six primary characters. That’s it. You have Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart as the mother and daughter in danger. The trio of bad guys featuring Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, and Jared Leto have fantastic chemistry and great personalities. 

There are some small plot holes that still live with me. Like why did Meg and Sarah stop flashing the flash light and start screaming into the pipe? But even with that being said, it is still a great movie and one of Fincher’s easier to appreciate pure entertainment vessels.

Also, RAOUL!!! Raoul with the mask is an all-time Fincher character.

Academy Award Nominations: N/A
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: B+

Rating: 4 out of 5.

8. The Killer

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Alexis Nolent, Luc Jacamon, Andrew Kevin Walker
Staring: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Kerry O’Malley
Release Date: November 10, 2023
IMDB

David Fincher made a movie about himself if he was a hitman. The Killer stars Michael Fassbender as a process obsessed assassin who begins operating out of his element when his motivation becomes revenge.

Attention to detail. The little things are awesome. The fact that The Killer always takes different brand rentals cars at every stop is incredible. The fact that The Killer’s fake IDS are all sitcom characters from yesteryear. The fact that The Killer doesn’t blink on camera…at all. All of the little things make The Killer rewatchable, and rewatch it I will.

And let’s give proper credit to Michael Fassbender for an awesome performance. Let’s also bow down to Tilda Swinton for again delivering the heat in a limited role.

The Killer has less action than you’d think, but it’s so well made that you get sucked into the narrative monologues without any struggle.

Academy Award Nominations: TBA
Academy Award Wins: TBA

Stanko Rating: A-

Rating: 4 out of 5.

7. Se7en

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Staring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey
Release Date: September 22, 1995
IMDB

Is this the hardest rewatch of any Fincher movie? Se7en is dark. It is beyond dark. It is beyond pitch black. Genuinely don’t know if there is a single smile in this entire movie. Yet, despite the doom and gloom that coats all the moldy walls of Se7en, the movie is an absolute MUST recommend.

There is the end. “What’s In The Box?” is one of the most known and quotable twist endings of all time. It is a safe bet that 50% of the people who quote that line don’t know the truly disturbing revelation that stamps the end of this story. And Kevin Spacey is a complicated figure, but there is no denying he is fucking unreal as John Doe. When he begins calling out to the pair of cops and his scream echoes through the hall of the police station, you know things are about to get beyond medevial. 

Like most Fincher movies, the less you know going in the better. The only warning you need to give to new Se7en viewers is that you are going to see some absolutely gross visuals.

And what a fucking rebound for Fincher. After the debacle of Alien 3, Fincher completely resurrects his career and gives himself a massive runway with this scarring story.

Academy Award Nominations: Best Film Editing (1)
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: B+

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

6. Gone Girl

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Gillian Flynn
Staring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon
Release Date: October 3, 2014
IMDB

Amy Dunne is the best female character for any David Fincher movie. Rosamund Pike got nominated for the role, and she fucking deserved it. Gone Girl is an outstanding book and Fincher makes it an outstanding movie. Perhaps it is his most popular popcorn style flick? You Gillian Flynn’s insanely popular book infused with the massive star power of Ben Affleck in the lead.

Gone Girl is a crime thriller where you know the culprit, yet how the plot resolves itself is a major mystery to those who don’t know the story beforehand. Fincher is able to take the distrust of Flynn’s words and inject it into the screen. Neither Nick or Amy Dunne are likable people, yet the movie forces you to pick a side. It is like picking what piece of soggy bread you want to make your sandwich with.

There is also the scene. You know which one I am talking about. When Amy caresses Desi Collings after weeks in his hidden bungalow, I don’t think anyone expects the white lingerie to become stained with neck spewed blood. It is shocking. It is a bit of true horror injected into a horrific tale.

And special shoutout to Carrie Coon for her efforts playing Margo Dunne. One of those random scenes that is always rewatchable is when Margo is standing awake in the dark watching Nick shoeing away Andie Fitzgerald. It is dark comedy genius when she simply stats to her brother: “You fucking idiot…”

Academy Award Nominations: Best Actress (1)
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: A

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

5. Fight Club

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Chuck Palahniuk, Jim Ohls
Staring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
Release Date: October 15, 1999
IMDB

Fight Club is a drug. Watching Fight Club is the equivalent to a bad trip. Or maybe a good one, whichever way you want to go. In his second visit with Fincher, Brad Pitt carries the performative weight while the undercard of Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter have great acting performances of their own.

Watching Fight Club knowing the big twist at the end is a very different experience. It adds a strange point of view on all the scenes of duality. Part of it is like an exciting word search where you don’t know how long your find is going to be. There are the little throw away lines that absolutely stick like glue on rewatch.

I was in the height of my movie snobbery the first time I saw Fight Club so I thought this movie was the coolest shit in the world. Now, upon rewatch, I can acknowledge that Fight Club is not the greatest movie of all time. I can however say that this movie is still outstanding. The final act when the narrator comes to the Tyler Durden realization is gripping. 


I thought that Fight Club would drop down in my rewatch, but honestly it stayed pat. It was never my favorite thing, but there the still is the acknowledgement that this truly fucked up story of self discovery is one of a kind.

Academy Award Nominations: Best Sound Effects Editing (1)
Academy Award Wins: N/A

STANKO RATING: A

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

4. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Staring: Brady Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershala Ali
Release Date: December 25, 2008
IMDB

Wow. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button was the only major motion picture of Fincher’s I had not seen when I began this personal homework assignment. I am mortified that it took me this long to get to it.

David Fincher can do romance. David Fincher can do it all. David Fincher can do the ultimate bro show like Fight Club, or he can make you grab the tissues as he does here. Wow.

On paper, Benjamin Button is a ludicrous idea. It is a concept that would seem insane to be put on screen. Leave it to Fincher to work well with screenwriters Eric Roth and Robin Swicord and their reshaping of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. After all my rewatches, this particular project is the second best page to screen relationship of Fincher’s career, behind only The Social Network, which we will be talking about shortly.

Brad Pitt is worthy of the Academy Award nomination he received. It can’t be easy to have a reversed psyche the entire time, needing to act more solemn and resolute while looking like a Greek god. His relationship with Cate Blanchett as Daisy is something that only movies are made of. The sequence in the duplex where they are living on the mattress and creating a world for themselves is like a snow globe love story. 

The love story of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button has more real life emotions running through it than most cinematic love stories, and that is despite it having a damn high fantasy tilt. The story is put out for you to accept it, as society ends up just accepting Button for who he is. 

This is not just a case of recency bias either. 13 Oscar nominations is the most for any of his movies. The Academy also saw fit to give Fincher and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button its due.

Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Mixing, Best Supporting Actress, Best Visual Effects (13)
Academy Award Wins: Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects (3)

Stanko Rating: A

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Steven Zaillian, Stieg Larsson
Staring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgård
Release Date: December 21, 2011
IMDB

I do not think that The Girl WIth The Dragon Tattoo is one of Fincher’s best made movies, but I will argue that it has some of the best performances he has ever pulled out of his actors. The movie also relies on its story more than other Fincher projects, and to be fair it is a captivating one. The Girl WIth The Dragon Tattoo sticks with the overarching motif that every single human is a different shade of gray, and it is a credit to FIncher that he is willing to go JET BLACK during certain moments.

Rooney Mara is unrecognizable as Lisbeth Salander. That goes without saying. Everyone knows it and everyone appreciates it because it is true. This movie came out in 2011, just when I was in the height of my movie obnoxiousness. I can remember stomping my feet that she should win, despite me not seeing any of the other nominations at the time. 

Daniel Craig is good, but the show is stolen (on a secondary level) by Stellan Skarsgård, playing the part of the absolutely terrifying Martin Vagner. When the puzzle pieces are put together and Mikael finds himself inside the home of a serial killer rapist, Stellan is able to bring a truly unnerving over-friendly grandfather quality to his perverseness. HIs soliloquy is spot on, but it’s such a flex when he orders “bring your drink, leave my knife”.

One last remark on The Girl WIth The Dragon Tattoo. We usually see something completely new visually in Fincher films. That is partially true here, but it has nothing to do with a camera, lighting or technology. The rape scene in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is one of the toughest scenes to rewatch, dare I say ever? I know people who won’t rewatch this movie simply because they know it is coming. I had never seen something that horrific put on screen when I first saw the movie. It is nothing something one wants to brag about, but the scene is just fucking terrifying. It’s god awful. And to add more terror, it actually serves a meaningful purpose in the story. The movie would be completely different without it.

Academy Award Nominations: Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing (5)
Academy Award Wins: Best Film Editing (1)

Stanko Rating: A-

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

2. The Social Network

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Aaron Sorkin
Staring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Release Date: October 1, 2010
IMDB

Holy shit, what a movie. I had not rewatched The Social Network in a very long time, and damn did it only get better with age. Everything about this movie is like a speeding bullet, blistering through its story and dialogue with little to no care for speed or the audience’s attention span. The Social Network is constantly waving you to catch up to it, and the viewer sees themselves picking up speed and eying the finish line with gleeful admiration.

Jesse Eisenberg is so fucking good at being an asshole. I have no idea of Mark Zuckerberg is THAT aloof in real life, but every single mannerism and distracted retort that Eisenberg delivers is a stroke of genius. Andrew Garfield is also superb in the supporting role. This time around, watching it back, he stood out more than I remember.

The Social Network is one of the best script and direction combinations in the 21st century. You have Oscar winning Aaron Sorkin loading his verbal machine gun with endless rounds of evil witticisms and then there is Fincher framing everyone up for one-on-one bouts of confrontation. There are scenes in The Social Network that feel like a boxing match, with certain characters hiding in the corners of the screen acting like coaches in the corner either edging their fighter on or looking to wave the white flag.

There are two scenes in The Social Network that I have to acknowledge my personal appreciation for. The opening scene with Rooney Mara as Erica pantsing Mark in the bar. She is the catalyst for the whole entire movie. You know that having seen the film before, but this start perfectly sets the table for the feast of resentment that the viewers are gonna be gobbling up. 

Then there is the rowing scene. Can we get a David Fincher sports movie? Holy shit that rowing scene was propulsive! I can tell you I don’t have a great relationship with rowers…past employment problems…but damn this scene was fucking unbelievable. 

Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Mixing (8)
Academy Award Wins: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score (3)

Stanko Rating: A

Rating: 5 out of 5.

1. Zodiac

Director: David Fincher
Writers: James Vanderbilt, Robert Graysmith
Staring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo
Release Date: March 2, 2007
IMDB

Zodiac is a film that keeps on giving every time you watch. Having seen it at least three times now, it has risen in estimation after every viewing. Fincher is able to create a propulsive three hour crime thriller spanning decades of time. And the payoff at the end. Just perfect. The screenplay, which is great throughout, reaches peak crispness in the final dinner scene sequence. The audience is gripping its armrests and Robert Graysmith and David Toschi piece together all the clues they have.

In terms of a very random compliment, Zodiac may be one of the best depictions of cop jurisdiction miscommunication put on screen. The hoops that Toschi and his partner have to hop through are conveyed with easy to understand frustration. The first time you watch Zodiac, it’s easy to get lost in the back-and-forth phone calls. You feel like the cops and reporters trying to piece it all together. But with just one rewatch, Zodiac’s puzzle pieces begin to piece together. It’s like being stuck at the dining room table putting together the edge of a giant puzzle. You don’t know what the whole picture is going to be, but you have all the pieces and there are various ways you can get to a possible end point. 

Having this at number one may surprise a lot of people, but this the Fincher movie that I revisit and watch clips of the most. It has grown to love the dearest. Zodiac is Fincher going full Fincher, and he doesn’t make any apologies for drawing a decades long story out for as long as possible. I love Zodiac. It is my number one. It is almost most definitely not his best movie, but its the most compelling in all assets in my book.

Academy Award Nominations: N/A
Academy Award Wins: N/A

Stanko Rating: A-

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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