Summary

• Zodiac is David Fincher's best movie, combining technical mastery with gripping storytelling that hooks audiences instantly.
• Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in Zodiac marked a comeback moment in his career, showcasing his mesmerizing range as an actor.
• Only in a Fincher film like Zodiac would you see visually stunning shots that are both beautifully composed and hauntingly horrifying.

Fans of David Fincher will endlessly debate which of his movies is the best, but in my mind, the only right answer is his 2007 thriller, Fincher's filmography is full of mind-blowingly stellar movies, with maybe three on the list that could be considered sub-par. Yet, he's only been nominated for three Academy Awards, and he's never won. He's uncelebrated, but I think he's one of the greatest film talents we have.

Even his "bad" movies, like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, are still visually stunning and tonally unique. Films like Fight Club, Seven, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo take time to appreciate. Their dark subjects can make it hard for first-time viewers to wrap their heads around. Benjamin Button and The Social Network were instant successes because there's a sweet romance to the first film and a screenplay by the optimistic Aaron Sorkin in the second to balance Fincher's grimmer tendencies out. That's why Zodiac is Fincher's best movie. It's pure Fincher but made for a wide audience.

David Fincher Made Zodiac A Masterclass In Filmmaking

Zodiac Combines Fincher's Technical Mastery With A Gripping Story

Zodiac combines all of David Fincher's technical prowess with a gripping story and a sense of tension few other directors are capable of bringing to the screen. Despite running 2 hours and 40 minutes, there's not a wasted moment in Zodiac. It doesn't matter at what point I turn it on, I'm hooked and certain to stop whatever I'm doing to finish it. As the title suggests, Zodiac is about the manhunt for the real-life Zodiac killer who operated in the Bay Area during the '60s and '70s.

David Fincher grew up in San Anselmo in Marin County in the 1960s, meaning he was in the Bay Area when the Zodiac killer was operating and re the serial killer as the "ultimate bogeyman" (via New York Times).

The film features real reporters and police officers, played by Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., and an ensemble of acclaimed actors. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, whose nonfiction books about the investigation served as Fincher's source material.

Only in a Fincher film would you see such an in-your-face shot that's both beautifully composed and horrifying.

There's a famed sequence of the killer tying up a couple in broad daylight. It's rightly praised for its disorienting setting, but what really gets me is a shot you don't see anywhere else. When the male victim asks the killer if there are any bullets in his gun, the shot switches to the victim's pov. The masked killer comes to the camera and pulls out the clip from his gun, showing the bullets in extreme close-up, as if it's 3D. Only in a Fincher film would you see such an in-your-face shot that's both beautifully composed and horrifying.

Zodiac Is The Most Important Performance Of Robert Downey Jr.'s Career

Downey's Role As Paul Avery Was A Comeback Moment For The Actor

David Fincher's direction has to be praised for the critical if not commercial success of Zodiac, but the acting is universally fantastic as well. In particular, Robert Downey, Jr.'s performance of journalist Paul Avery is critical in Downey's career. It was only in 2003 with Gothika that Downey reentered mainstream Hollywood after his public struggles with substance addiction. Though his career was getting back on track, he still did not have the level of performance he was known for.

Then came Zodiac, where he played the charming Avery. Avery goes from a cool, brilliant reporter into a paranoid recluse and Downey is mesmerizing in both stages of Avery's life. I saw Zodiac after I saw Iron Man, but it's now clear to me that Downey's performance in Zodiac was the real tipping point for his career and gave viewers and producers the confidence that he could lead the MCU. Plus, he has the greatest line in Zodiac and one I repeat anytime someone orders a weird drink, "This can no longer be ignored. What is that you're drinking?"