Since he emerged on the scene with his own Alien sequel, David Fincher has gained a reputation for being exacting, precise, and brilliant. Whether he’s making an unconventional thriller or a throwback to Hollywood’s golden age, Fincher’s movies are always distinctive, imaginative, and hugely engaging.
Over the course of his career as a director, Fincher has made more than a couple of genuine masterpieces. While he’s yet to win any major Oscars, Fincher has always seemed most interested in following his own muse, and is less concerned about how his decisions will be viewed by those around him. You may think of Fincher as a thriller guy, but anyone who’s followed his career closely knows that thrillers aren’t the only thing he makes.
As is also the case in the best films from Steven Spielberg, Fincher has established collaborators that help him realize his vision. That’s especially true for his movie’s scores, which are composed none other than Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have been behind the scores for his last four films. “Our role is to help realize his vision the best we can,” Reznor once said, and each time they come up with a new score, they do exactly that.
While Fincher has a varied career, it’s undeniably true that he has tended to focus on projects that are bit dark or grisly. There are some titles on this list that anyone with a weak stomach should probably avoid, but we’ll get into all of that below. Without further ado, these are David Fincher’s best films ranked:
11. Alien³ (1992)
Read more: Best Amazon Prime Movies
10. The Game (1997)
9. Panic Room (2002)
8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
7. Mank (2020)
Read more: Best Netflix Movies
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
5. The Social Network (2010)
4. Fight Club (1999)
3. Gone Girl (2014)
When it comes to Fincher films, think of Gone Girl as a possible response to the cultural response to Fight Club. People weren’t sure if they should think this movie is a feminist guide or the patriarchy at it again. What’s amazing about this movie is that it is both. Both main characters are twisted in their own way, but introduce some very interesting concepts to the viewer, one of which is that the world can shape you into what it wants you to be. We’re so cute. I wanna punch us in the face,” Amy says as pieces of her true personality shine through for others to see, but only if they’re looking. What it all comes down to is that everyone always expects you to be better than you truly are, which is exhausting to keep up all day every day. It can drive people to do crazy things.
2. Zodiac (2007)
1. Se7en (1995)
Editors' Recommendations
- The 13 best Stephen King books to read, ranked
- The 11 best Bradley Cooper movies of all time
- Every James Bond actor, ranked from worst to best
- The best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time
- The best Matt Damon movies, ranked