David Fincher is a filmmaker with an immense passion for his craft, and he’s crafted quite a career for himself. Through directing and producing television, music videos, commercials, and of course feature films, he has earned a plethora of award nominations alongside critical acclaim and fan adoration.
Fincher has made some excellent movies in his 30+ year career, a couple of the finest and most iconic of that time in fact, despite his short filmography of directed movies. A good gauge of these films’ acclaim and popularity is by looking at how they rate on popular site IMDb. So, here are all 10 of David Fincher’s directed movies, ranked according to IMDb.
ALIEN 3 (1992) - 6.5
Alien 3 was David Fincher’s directorial debut and it follows Ellen Ripley once more as she crashes on Fiorina 161, and unbeknownst to her, she brings along an unwelcome visitor which brings consequences for her and the people on Fiorina 161.
The movie gained a 6.5 from 263,829 reviews. The movie received credit for its visuals but failed in risks that did not pay off, and they ultimately sacrifice a lot of what made the originals so good.
PANIC ROOM (2002) - 6.8
Panic Room follows mother and daughter as they hide in their home’s panic room when three intruders invade, but the problem is the intruders desperately want something that is inside that room.
From 244,514 reviews the movie earned a 6.7 rating. The movie was credited for its craftsmanship by Fincher, who always delivers in that respect, but the point of contention for most was the thriller aspect, which was merely average and lacking in sharpness.
ZODIAC (2007) - 7.7
Zodiac is a true-crime thriller that looks at the work of detectives in San Fransisco in an almost obsessive quest to find the Zodiac killer, who taunts them with puzzles and letters throughout.
Zodiac earned its rating of 7.7 from 415,705 reviews. The movie is slow and deliberate in its dialogue-heavy script and Fincher manages to fill it full of suspense and a constant sense of anxiety throughout. Fincher has received a lot of credit for focusing not on the murders as much as the characters and the case itself.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) - 7.7
The Social Network tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook and the ongoing trials Zuckerberg faces with the Winklevoss twins and Eduardo Saverin following its global explosion.
The film’s 7.7 rating comes from 586,458 reviews. It is credited as a generation-defining movie and one of the finest of the 2010s. With outstanding performances and direction, as well as one of the finest film scores of the past decade, the movie is beloved by critics and film fans alike. It has also earned a load of award wins and nominations.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) - 7.8
Another crime mystery from Fincher, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist as he is aided by the hacker Lisbeth Salander in his quest to solve a forty-year-old mystery of a missing woman.
The movie’s 7.8 comes from 399,408 reviews. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo could perhaps be getting a higher rating than The Social Network for having fewer reviews. Nonetheless, it is another great piece of craftsmanship from Fincher, though perhaps even more acclaimed than his work in this brutal picture is the performance of Rooney Mara.
THE GAME (1997) - 7.8
The Game was Fincher’s third directorial effort and follows successful banker Nicholas Van Horton, whose estranged brother returns on his birthday with a gift for him, a real-life game that leaves Horton fearing for his life, a life where he can no longer differentiate between game and reality.
It earned its 7.8 from 325,429 reviews. The Game garnered praise for reinforcing Fincher’s ability to create an atmosphere and tell stories in his films. However, people did have issues with the ending, despite how well made the movie was.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008) - 7.8
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is the third film in a row here to be nominated for multiple Oscars. It follows Benjamin Button who is born an old man and ages in reverse. He hopes to meet at the right time with a girl he has come to know called Daisy, as she gets older and he gets younger.
The movie gained its 7.8 from 556,436 reviews. It is credited for its beautiful storytelling and exceptional performances, particularly that of Pitt. It has still received some criticism though for its length, and its arguably plodding pace.
GONE GIRL (2014) - 8.1
Gone Girl is the story of a bar owner, Nick Dunne, who becomes the focal point of media scrutiny and prime suspect when his wife appears to have gone missing.
From its 796,086 reviews, the film earned an 8.1. A lot of the movie’s acclaim came from Fincher’s ability to not only weave a dark and twist-filled tale with a great aesthetic and atmosphere, but also by bringing out fantastic performances from his leads Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.
SE7EN (1995) - 8.6
Fincher’s second feature film, Se7en, was far more successful critically than the first, and follows the story of two detectives, a young, up-and-coming hothead, and a veteran close to retirement. Together they track a serial killer who bases his killings on the seven deadly sins.
The movie’s great 8.6 rating comes from 1,346,219 reviews. Alongside the iconic “What’s in the box?” scene, the movie has earned adoration for being brutal, dark, and brooding with an ending that leaves you deflated in the best possible way - even if it is not to the taste of every critic.
FIGHT CLUB (1999) - 8.8
Fight Club is Fincher’s most iconic movie, and tells the story of an insomniac who meets a charismatic soap salesman. The pair begin living together and go on to form what came to be known as fight club.
The 8.8 rating comes from 1,746,579 reviews. Fight Club was a bomb when it was first released, but over the years it has developed into a cult classic and a defining film of its era. While the movie has arguably not aged well, it is beloved by fans, and will likely live on for a long time in its fans’ minds.
