Summary

Despite initially underperforming at the box office and receiving mixed reviews, Zodiac is now considered one of David Fincher’s most underrated films. The movie seamlessly blends genres, serving as both a police procedural and a horror thriller, with terrifying scenes and an ending that leaves viewers horrified and frustrated. Zodiac’s attention to detail, including historical accuracy, authentic depictions of 1960s-70s San Francisco, and meticulous production design, makes it visually compelling and stands out in Fincher’s filmography.

It’s no exaggeration to say that David Fincher is one of the most beloved directors of the 21st century. Beginning his career with a slew of industry-redefining music videos, Fincher got his first feature film gig in 1992, directing Alien 3. Although that film disappointed many fans of the Alien franchise, Fincher went on to direct a number of great films and, over time, developed his signature style.

Today, he is seen as a provocative filmmaker. Fincher’s movies, which mostly fall into the psychological thriller genre, have garnered 40 Oscar nominations over the years, as well as countless other accolades. Some of his best-known films include Fight Club, Se7en, Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Social Network. Right up there with those classics is his 2007 film Zodiac, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal as journalist Robert Graysmith, Mark Ruffalo as Inspector Dave Toschi, and Robert Downey Jr. as journalist Paul Avery, as the three men following the same goal to catch the terrorizing killer.

A gem of a true-crime film, Zodiac chronicles the unsolved mystery of the “Zodiac Killer,” who was at the center of a string of brutal murders that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the film isn’t typically the first one people think of when they think of David Fincher – and despite its poor box-office performance – a case can be made that it’s the director’s masterpiece.

While we wait for Fincher’s return to the genre with 2023’s The Killer, let’s take a deep dive into Zodiac and see how it could be Fincher’s most underrated movie.

Underwhelming Box-Office Returns, Overwhelming Terror
Zodiac Release Date March 2, 2007 Director David Fincher Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch Rating R Runtime 157 Main Genre Crime
When Zodiac first released in the spring of 2007, it bombed at the box office and dropped out of sight rather quickly for a big-budget film from a major filmmaker. The film was deemed a failure by the studio and didn’t last long in the theaters. Unlike other films by Fincher, Zodiac wasn’t perceived by the critical world as a particularly praise-worthy picture and thus was skipped over by the Academy Awards completely. Although reviews were generally favorable, many critics expressed frustration with the lengthy runtime and the film’s lack of a satisfying ending.

On the other side of the critical consensus, however, some reviewers pointed out that it was these two factors that made the film so great: the lengthy runtime is stuffed to the brim with crucial information and character development, and the lack of an ending isn’t just realistic (the killer was never caught), but is also the film’s biggest horror element. It’s a shocking downer of an ending that inspires dread and frustration in the viewer and one of the most memorable ones in Fincher’s filmography.

Yes, Zodiac isn’t a horror film, but oftentimes, it feels like a realistic scary film that perfectly puts the collective of a society on the edge of chaos. It also isn’t the only approach by the director to do horror, but it’s one of the most effective exercises in his career to frighten audiences with the use of a true mystery that was never solved.

Police Procedural Meets Horror
Paramount Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures

One of the most interesting and unique aspects of Zodiac is the way that it seamlessly melds genres. It is part character-driven drama and does an excellent job developing both Gyllenhaal’s insightful cartoonist and Downey Jr.’s dogged reporter. It’s also a fastidious police procedural, and Fincher spares no nitty-gritty detail, opting to go all-in on the realism factor and depict each and every rabbit hole that the detectives went down in real life.

Related: The 10 Most Underrated Serial Killer Movies of All Time

Beyond these two genres, the film works just as well as a horror thriller. While it never tips into out-and-out slasher territory, the killer’s scenes in Zodiac are some of the most terrifying in the 21st century, with one in particular that stands out for the way Fincher sets it up. It takes place in the broad daylight and with no score in the backdrop. A couple is having a picnic in front of a lake in a not-so-remote area. Their conversation is interrupted when one of them spots a mysteriously dressed figure. It approaches them, and they have no option but to comply with the orders of the masked individual. What follows is a gruesome attack that Fincher doesn’t prepare us for, a stabbing scene that arrives unwelcome to a film that almost has no place for violence.

However, the elemental aspect of Fincher’s horror approach isn’t limited to the kill scenes. The moments in which Gyllenhaal’s character uncovers another clue inspire just as much dread as they do fulfillment, more so when you’re aware of the fact that the serial killer was never caught, despite what some investigators claim.

Unparalleled Attention to Detail
Paramount Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures

Zodiac is one of the most meticulously detailed films in Fincher’s career and perhaps of all time. The police procedural aspect of the film is fully realized, with each scrap of evidence from the real-life case being presented in a historically accurate way and explained in depth. Additionally, Zodiac depicts San Francisco as it really was in the ’60s and ’70s. Instead of the usual rose-tinted goggles that most filmmakers shoot their period films with, the world of Zodiac is authentically scuzzy, almost to the point of being anti-nostalgic. There’s no playing up the stereotypical “hippie era” at the center of most films depicting this city at this particular time. Rather, the film presents the city as the average working Joe would have seen it.

Even the little details of the workplace mattered to Fincher. Costume design and sound mixing are spot on, as well as a production design that makes you feel part of the office space that very slowly keeps getting small, more restrained, and claustrophobic. It’s this incredible attention to detail that makes Zodiac stand out as one of Fincher’s most visually interesting films.

Incredible Performances From a Star-Studded Cast
Warner Bros.

Another reason Zodiac is so excellent is that its cast is stacked with top-of-the-line talent. The film features one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best performances as the political cartoonist-turned-amateur detective Graysmith, as well as great supporting roles from Chloë Sevigny and Anthony Edwards. A particular highlight of the movie is the inclusion of two incredible actors who, shortly after Zodiac, would go on to find super-stardom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. (in a very controversial performance, who both give some of the best performances of their careers.

In short, David Fincher’s Zodiac is brilliantly acted, and it’s baffling that its stellar cast was overlooked by many prestigious awards ceremonies. As usual, Fincher’s cast of secondary actors is exceptionally led by a director whose eyes for detail is admirable. Each of them is an essential piece of the mystery puzzle. A very specific scene stands out, and it’s when Graysmith investigates a clue that shoots him down a creepy spiral on a rainy night. Charles Fleischer, as Bob Vaughn, the poster drawing artist, acts opposite Gyllenhall and gives the audience the creeps with a subtle rendition of an antagonist character that perhaps isn’t evil but sure does raise a lot of questions.

Related: David Fincher’s 10 Highest-Grossing Movies, Ranked

David Fincher’s filmography speaks for itself. He’s navigated through almost every genre, and he’s shown enough material to make for a conversation about why he’s a Hollywood star. His latest films have represented an important shift that got him closer to the sober side of Hollywood, and that’s alright. The Academy has seen him and given him the nominations he deserves.

However, there’s no denying his presence in the thriller universe feels natural. Zodiac is not only an underrated film but an underappreciated masterpiece that speaks highly of his ability to portray true events, something he doesn’t often tackle. With the upcoming movie The Killer, he will likely prove this point again and be divisive, as he always is. What you can be sure about, is that you will be witnessing one of Hollywood’s greats.

You Can Stream Zodiac on Showtime