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By David Young · November 13, 2023
As you look at characters like Tyler Durden, Detective Somerset, or even Mark Zuckerberg, you begin to see patterns in the way these characters are shown in David Fincher movies.
You see obsessions, unsettling narrative beats, and the realistic, dark-gray morality that seems to creep into the sensibilities of Fincher’s characters, be they historical portraits or denizens of fiction narratives. It’s Fincher’s power to show that grayness and still get you invested — to show how dark things can be and give you someone to root for regardless.
Check the scripts below for some of the most famous stories where his vision has contributed to that effect!
The Narrator (Edward Norton) of this story, based on Chuck Palahniuk’s hit novel, has a crisis of identity that moves past the realm of what we’d call “normal,” yet we’re drawn to his normalcy compared to his newfound companion, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). It’s through their time together that the Narrator discovers a side of himself he had been repressing — but even then, we’re drawn to his portrayal instead of put off by it.
David Fincher’s storytelling vision also brings us an unsettling, dissatisfying climax with an ending that fits the theme, rather than one that answers all of our questions. Those traits are common in his films, and they fit the way he likes to portray his characters throughout.
If there were ever a way to demonstrate dark, unconventional mortality, it’s using a show like House of Cards. Fincher did the show a considerable service by directing the first two episodes with this idea in mind. With this pilot, he sent fans down a rabbit hole that lasted season after season.
People who are drawn to the messy and unscrupulous world of politics resonate with the storytelling in this show, and it all starts with the very first season — making the David Fincher mark on this series a significant one to demonstrate.
Alongside gray moralities, obsession is another clear trait of movies in the Fincher portfolio, and Se7en showcases that perfectly with the desperation that we see in detectives Somerset and Mills (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) as they seek out a deadly maniac fixated on religious symbology.
The continued efforts to get inside the mind of a serial killer create a suspenseful masterpiece that leaves the audience with as many questions as they have answers. However, Somerset’s obsession and willingness to explore with psychological depth will mean he and Mills take separate, morally different roads to resolving the case.
Psychological profiling and serial killers make another movie a worthy Fincher flick: Zodiac, based on the real killings from the 1960s and ’70s. This narrative showcases the unsettling effects this obsessive hunt (on both sides) had on detectives and reporters alike. As a well-known story about unsolved crimes, Zodiac is designed to offer no real comfort.
This film’s climax and ending give a story fueled by facts, meaning that it’s simply unsettling and unsolved, with heavy questions remaining unanswered.
The 1930s were a time for moviemaking glory, but also for rampant social problems to become more prevalent. The rich became richer, the propaganda machines of Hollywood were underway, and Herman J. Mankiewicz was hired to put together a film for the renowned Orson Welles. That’s the story of Mank: As Mankiewicz works to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane, his dedication to the task is put to the test by obstacles of political corruption, the studio wars, and even his own ego.
This deep dive into obsession and the mind of a man beset by private agendas on all sides makes it clear why David Fincher took an interest in the project — no matter how many years it took for him to make it happen.
Unsettling fits the bill for this film inspired by the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. After all, we’re all forced to age — but to watch a man age backward feels like a strange and upsetting thing, and we witness it all for Benjamin Button. His life, marked by axioms about making every day count (though in reverse), is a brighter tale than expected of David Fincher.
Still, in the wake of something so sad, confusing, and odd, he finds a way to get the audience invested, ensuring that people care about this story — despite crossing the boundaries of nature to get to his main point.
When Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) begins life under the microscope, and suspicion mounts around him as his reactions and behavior point to someone who isn’t innocent. Amy’s own story and situation leave audiences with a keen understanding of where lines are being drawn between each character. This Fincher flick, based on the #1 New York Times bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn, cleanly demonstrates the clash of starkly different values for two people with unconventional moral compasses — with an equally unconventional ending, to boot.
No one can be surprised by the intense success seen by this product of Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue genius and Fincher’s eye for character complexity. The true story of how Facebook came into being follows power-hungry people like Mark Zuckerberg as they climb to the highest point of what is now known as Silicon Valley. A tale of undercuts and backstabs, there are plenty of ways to swallow the pill that is The Social Network, but one recurring message is this: You can’t unburn those bridges. Whether it’s the shady practices at Napster or Zuckerberg’s own obsessive behavior, David Fincher uses various tools and tactics at his disposal to portray this absolute masterclass in social suicide.
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Whether you’re looking to explore character complexities of your own, or you want to create an unsettling, unconventional storyline, Fincher’s techniques deserve to be studied. And if you feel like just watching a film that challenges your inner compass, this is one of the best collections for you to start doing that!
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