It’s time to look at arguably David Fincher’s worst films… but fear not, as they’re all still pretty great…
Directors come and go. Some have an enviable legacy born of a stellar CV. Such power usually means they can make what they want and indulge however they please. Martin Scorsese seems to find it increasingly difficult to clock a runtime under a couple of back-to-back footy games. The more prolific director, such as Spielberg may also choose to bounce between “easy” projects and those with “weightier” themes. Spielberg in third gear can still do the business in a way few could on their best day and the same can also be said of David Fincher.
Transitioning from music videos into directing narrative features, Fincher has an enviable CV filled with iconic classics like Seven and Fight Club as well as big-scale star-driven opuses like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Zodiac. He’s also made a rare remake that hit par with its acclaimed European counterpart, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (sorry Dave, I do prefer the original adaptation of the popular book).
However, whilst other prolific directors fire out a number of films with the good ones being the exception to the rule (like Michael Bay and Zack Snyder), Fincher’s “duds” tell you everything you need to know about how assured an auteur he is. The worst movies in his CV are better than many mere mortal directors can only dream of. Let’s take a look…
Alien 3
Fincher’s first feature wasn’t exactly a small affair to test the waters. He had the unenviable task of following Ridley Scott and James Cameron’s first two iconic films in the unexpected franchise. You might say there was a lot of trust put into a man coming from a music video background but this was all the rage in the 80s and 90s with the likes of Russell Mulcahy and Alex Proyas both making that leap (albeit both had already produced indie films in their native Australia before their “big” debuts). So Fox gambled but still held a degree of hesitancy.
Fincher infamously disowned the film, feeling like he’d had his hands tied and the film’s theatrical cut, something of a last-second handbrake pull if you were doing a Thelma and Louise, couldn’t stop the hammering the film took from critics and fans. On the one hand, Alien 3 isn’t all bad but on the other, it’s up against two films that arguably represent the apex of their archetypes.
With the benefit of time, and with the assembly cut offering some interesting additions and changes (that have notable imperfections due to lots of incomplete Vfx and audio), Alien 3 has a lot to like. It has arguably the most memorable and oft-mimicked and meme’d image of the entire franchise too (See above). Even the theatrical cut is able to benefit from a fine cast, the ever-reliable Sigourney Weaver and the clear visual style of Fincher. Sure, the rather brutal way it retcons the previous film’s fellow survivors remains unpopular but the film is still way better than the fourth as well as Prometheus (a mess) and Alien Covenant (messier).
In spite of Alien 3’s issues, there’s enough pizzaz, tension and some gripping scenes that suggested great things from its newbie director. The kind of excellence he was able to deliver two years later with Seven.
The Game
After the brilliance of Se7en, Fincher had a high bar to match but never one to go predictable, he made a high-concept potboiler which saw Michael Douglas as an uptight executive gifted a “game” by his troublesome younger brother. Morbid curiosity sees him participate in the game and quickly things descend into a clandestine web of danger and intrigue as his life is under threat.
With incredible visuals and a plot line that remains gripping even when logic is long thrown out of the window, Fincher, not for the last time, proves he can do something that has schlockier elements with a level of assurance few others could match. It’s atmospheric and buoyed by the kind of creative freedom a hit like Se7en undoubtedly buys you. Fincher has a whale of a time.
He also pulled a sterling performance out of Michael Douglas and utilised a very impressive cast list. Does The Game make a whole heap of sense by the end? No, but it sure as hell thrills you on its journey getting to the final rug pull.
Panic Room
An intricately woven and unforgettable crime thriller (Seven) and then an enjoyable potboiler (The Game) were followed by an instant pop culture phenomenon with edge, wit and layers of satire (Fight Club). What’s the best way to follow those, after a three-year hiatus? Well, it’s to make a confined and on paper, relatively simple survival thriller based around the idea of two would-be victims hiding themselves in an impenetrable panic room, little realising the items the armed burglars are searching for, are within that same room. It’s almost the kind of concept you might have seen Eric Roberts pop up in on the TV movie of the week back in the day.
By this point, Fincher knew he could make what he wanted, and this happened to be it. He also had the benefit most creatively thrilling directors do, in that A-listers were throwing themselves at his feet to appear in his films. Aside from the eye-catching style and incredible oner shots that make Panic Room stand way above so many similar home invasion thrillers, it’s also bolstered by the incredible cast with Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart both great as mother and daughter, fending off a complex Forest Whitaker, a wild Jared Leto and the quiet menace of Dwight Yoakam.
Plot-wise it doesn’t rewrite the rule books or do anything unexpected but there’s enough tension and dynamic style to make this a perfect example of a simple genre film made incredibly well.
The Killer
You might say that Gone Girl might come into the schlock arena somewhat with a storyline that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Shannon Tweed, Skinamax classic, but of course, it’s made with the kind of assurance that holds a three-hour run time, in a way only Fincher and handful of other directors could feasibly pull off. We’ve also seen Fincher make his bed with the streamers, though he’s been less vociferous about the argument of content vs cinema. Likewise, that transition has been smoothed by Fincher’s creative control on a number of popular series.
Mank wasn’t the most memorable Fincher film with a footing in history, lensed in his distinct cinematic way, but had its moments. If it felt like a director relaxed and able to slip on his Tesla’s auto-parking function, it certainly feels like a continuation of cruise control Fincher in The Killer. This isn’t the intricate or potential game-changing Fincher we’ve seen in the past. He’s not even coming out of the traps to prove as he gets older, he can still slip into his A game (like Scorsese).
The Killer is seemingly easy fare allowing Fincher to slip on his comfiest pair of directing slippers, grab his directing pipe and just hit the kind of marks he probably does in his sleep. Does that leave a feeling of disappointment after watching The Killer? Kind of. We knew Hulk Hogan could body slam Andre The Giant in a Mania title match for the ages, but by the same token we knew he could probably turn up, go through the motions and beat The Red Rooster (how’s that for an obscure WWE reference?) with his eyes closed.
However, as we know, Fincher directing in velvet gown and slippers mode still trumps the majority of directors producing the endless slew of forgettable straight-to-streamer films these days. He also has the very significant advantage of Michael Fassbender, back after a few years off and as mesmeric as he ever was. Throw in a very welcome Smiths soundtrack, and like watching your favourite team make short work of a lower division side in the cup, we still enjoy the victory. The Killer also continues a streak that feels unlikely to be ended, and that is the fact he’s never made a film that wasn’t at least watchable.
Can David Fincher do no wrong? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth and hit me up @jolliffeproductions…
