In the sparse list of modern masters of cinema who are still quite active in the industry, and who have the capacity of making audiences excited for upcoming movies, one of the most interesting is David Fincher.
The thing about his movies is that they're all shrouded with uncertainty. You know Fincher movies are going to be interesting to say the least, and the man is poignant about his presence in genre cinema. Mank was a change in the usual genres he tackles, but again, a very interesting take on a subject that's pretty mysterious.
Hollywood trusts Fincher. Studios are hungry for big names, and they know him enough to give him creative freedom. Perhaps he sacrifices some aspects in order to get things done, but one thing he never gets rid of is the capacity to imprint his films with his influences. Every frame in Fincher's filmography has reason and agency, and much of that is because of his love for movies.
A filmmaker that we trust so much has to have impeccable taste. He's very vocal about his relationship with cinema, so when he hand-wrote a list of his favorite films, we threw ourselves into it and began analyzing how film history has modeled one of cinema's most interesting careers.
Fincher wrote the above list and discussed his favorite movies for Yellow Film King, and it's a fascinating selection for the man who directed Zodiac, Fight Club, Se7en, Gone Girl, and The Social Network. It's not in any order though, and with 26 to choose from, we selected 10 films of this list for your enjoyment. It's difficult to rank a "best of the best" list, but we think that these 10 films are either the best of the bunch, or are most reflective of Fincher's own filmography and how he's been influence. These are Fincher's favorite pieces of cinema.
10 Dr. Strangelove
In one of Kubrick's masterpieces, the powers that lead the world go berserk in the potential starting point of a fictional world war. Dr. Strangelove is a visually stunning film shot by Gilbert Taylor, but Kubrick's approach to the script masterfully creates black comedy that was previously unprecedented. Peter Sellers is outstanding in his three-role performance that's proof of the imbalance that Kubrick set out to express with his film.
9 Taxi Driver
Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver is a film like none other. The personality of Paul Schrader's script is mysterious and wicked, but magnetic. We know things will not end well for Travis Bickle, but Scorsese accelerates the downfall by showing the dark side of a city we knew could be invasive but ended up being an inevitable character. We can't help but associate Fincher's love for this one with the final product that is Zodiac.
8 American Graffiti
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This is the perfect expression of youth and anxiety through a rendering of '60s culture during one night where everything can end, but also begin. In George Lucas' film, a series of vignettes give you a glimpse of dangerous rock n' roll, huge cars, and teenage angst in a warm summer night in Modesto, California. There's a reason why this one is a classic, and it's that feeling you get after watching American Graffiti — these are your friends, and you can also be part of the group.
7 Jaws
David Fincher has admitted there's a reason why he can't go on a beach swim, and it's only because of Steven Spielberg's Jaws. Nothing but effect concerning this pick for the list, as Jaws is responsible for traumatizing everyone who saw it and being the blueprint for the blockbuster. As with Jaws, we know Fincher has some of Spielberg's capacity to develop suspense and even traumatic sequences, and is very clever about the buildups in his films.
6 Alien
It's bittersweet, since Alien is a franchise that Fincher was involved with (in Alien 3), and he's not exactly happy with the participation. But Ridley Scott's masterpiece in sci-fi horror is a lesson for modern filmmakers who sometimes can't see ahead of an explosive delivery.
Regardless, isn't it time Fincher forgave himself and went back to sci-fi? He gave us a preview with a short animated episode in season three of Love, Death + Robots, and it was phenomenal. Fincher's potential return only holds something amazing yet to be done with Fincher's ability to put together tension-riddled scenes.
5 8 ½
Fellini's autobiographical film is an obvious choice for directors' favorite film lists. In Fincher's case, a darkly funny tale about lack of creativity isn't very cohesive with his career, but everyone at some point suffers from some block, and Fincher's relationship with science fiction isn't the best. In any case, Fellini's beautiful film can only give a lesson to auteurs, and that is to always trust themselves.
4 Lawrence of Arabia
David Lean's epic film, Lawrence of Arabia, is evidence of the scale that was typical in the past. It's no wonder why it's on everyone's lists for their favorite films. It actually gave you a window into the materialized dream of a film director who believed a film of this magnitude could be accomplished without much consideration for auteur's theory, something Fincher vocally hates.
3 The Godfather 2
This is where Fincher gets divisive, going with The Godfather: Part II, and it's OK. Some of us agree with sequels being sometimes better than firsts, and if there's any instance where that could be true, it's this one. Coppola's return to the Corleone household is an impressive tale about power and corruption, and we all found ourselves flabbergasted when it was left out of the Sight & Sound list.
2 Rear Window
Hitchcock's Rear Window speaks more about ourselves than we are able to admit. But it's the thriller side of the plot that makes it a logical member of Fincher's favorite films. It's built impressively, and this one is the most curious pick in the list as the director leaves out Vertigo, which is more like the films he makes.
1 The Exorcist
Fincher has admitted that The Exorcist still troubles him, and we couldn't agree more with his words. The bleakness in the human element of the greatest horror film made is comparable to what Fincher designs as a backdrop in Se7en. It's a stretch of a connection, but it's also our yearning to see David Fincher go full-blown horror. Now imagine what that could be like.