The 10 best villains in David Fincher films, ranked

Horror, fear and violence are common themes in the films of David Fincher, whose work in the film industry had earned him an all-time “blank check.” Whether he dabbles in historical drama based on gripping true events or narrates tough crime stories, Fincher is guaranteed to find an audience with every project he works on.

In recent years, Fincher has found success with Netflix, serving as a contributor on the popular streaming shows house of cards And Mindhunter. After funding Fincher’s passion project lackNetflix will distribute Fincher’s next crime thriller The killer. Here are the ten best villains in David Fincher movies, listed.

10 The Beast, “Alien 3”

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20th century studios

alien 3 does not get much credit from Fincher’s fans; This isn’t surprising considering Fincher himself turned down the film and failed to create a final director’s cut that reflects his true vision of the butchered sequel.

Related Topics: Top 10 Movies Recommended by David Fincher

However, nothing will top the true horror of seeing the Xenomorph fully unleashed for the first time in the 1979 original extraterrestrialFincher manages to give an interesting perspective on the franchise by sharing Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) allies in the first few minutes and the introduction of new creatures. Among them is The Beast, a hybrid alien brought to life with stunning practical effects.

9 Christine, “The Game”

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Fincher’s underrated 1997 thriller The game was a very different exploration of evil than some of the more formative works of his late career. Instead of introducing a fearsome villain, The game investigates the evil that lurks in everyone and questions who has the ability to commit acts such as murder.

Nothing is scarier than corporations and the consumer recreation services in The game represents the corrupting power of capitalism. Among her most fearsome associates is Christine (Deborah Kara Unger), the Nicholas Van Orton (MichaelDouglas) prompted to participate in CRS’s twisted program.

8th Junior, “Panic Room”

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Unlike other Fincher films panic room is a fairly straight-forward home invasion thriller that explores the horrors of insecurity at home. The film focuses on struggling mother Meg Altamn (Jodie Foster), who has to defend her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) when robbers break in.

Related Topics: Top 10 David Fincher Movies, ranked by IMDb

Of all the villains in the film, it’s surprising Jared Leto Who delivers the most unforgettable performance as an uptight burglar junior. Leto has been known for getting a little too eccentric in films like… suicide squad And Morbidbut he can control himself panic room play a differentiated role.

7 Martin Vanger, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Christopher Plummer
Sony images

While the story of Lisbeth Salander and The girl with the dragon tattoo Once told over the course of an entire Swedish film trilogy, Fincher managed to tell his version of the story in a packed 158-minute feature film. Replaced Fincher’s version Naomi Rapace‘s iconic performance as Lisbeth with Rooney Marawho received an Oscar nomination for her intimate performance.

Lisbeth is tasked with investigating a decades-old case involving the disappearance of a wealthy family’s missing child, only to discover that the girl’s estranged relative, Martin Vanger (Stellan Skarsgard) was involved in the case.

6 William Randolph Hearst, “Mank”

Mank Hearst Charles Dance
Netflix

lack was a very personal project for Fincher as it was based on a screenplay by his late father Jack Fincher. The film was based on the behind-the-scenes drama behind the making of the film Citizen Kaneand how internal pressure put the film’s screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman).

The film draws comparisons between the real figures in Mankiewicz’s life and the characters in Citizen Kane. The ruthless, legendary newspaper magnate William Randolph Hurst (Charles Dance) is widely considered the inspiration for Orson Welles‘ iconic title character, Charles Foster Kane.

5 The Zodiac Killer, “Zodiac”

Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac
Image via Parramount Pictures

The “Zodiac Murders” remain among the most intriguing unsolved murder cases of all time, and Fincher’s 2007 thriller makes a conscious (and brilliant) choice not to give the audience what they want by providing a definitive culprit finds. Instead, he explores how fear and anxiety drives cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) to insanity while searching for the killer.

Related: “Zodiac” worked because David Fincher didn’t give you what you wanted

The unnamed presence of the titular killer in zodiac somehow manages to be even scarier than any shocking revelation would have been. During a ritual murder on the shore of a lake, the viewer only sees the murderer briefly.

4 John Doe, “Se7en”

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Kevin Spacey He may have won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as crime mastermind Keyser Soze in the 1995s The usual suspectsbut that same year he also appeared as the enigmatic serial killer “John Doe” in “Fincher’s.” Se7en.

Doe does not appear until the final part of the film, when he is captured by retired homicide detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and his nervous young protégé David Mills (Brad Pitt). However, a twist around a particular box is enough to etch it into moviegoers’ memories forever.

3 Amy Dunne, “Gone Girl”

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Image via 20th Century Studios

Gillian Flynnis the hit novel Ex girlfriend inspired Fincher to create one of the scariest, funniest, and most unique novels yet. The film explores the impact of the media circus following the disappearance of seemingly flawless housewife Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) leaves her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) totally amazed.

Pike’s presence is an understatement for the first half of the film, but the rousing “cool girl” monologue she delivers throughout Ex girlfriendThe climax makes it clear that Amy’s disappearance is about much more than just a simple kidnapping. Pike’s twisted performance as Amy earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

2 Tyler DurdenFight Club

Fight Club

“Hey, you wanna fight?” Brad Pitt’s appearance as the ringleader of an underground society in fight club may have been considered “cool” by viewers at the time, but any serious examination of the film shows that Tyler Durden represents the worst of toxic masculinity.

fight clubThe film’s twists and turns are now entrenched in popular culture, but the salient points the film (and, surprisingly, Durden himself) makes about violent radicalism are just as relevant today as they were in 1999. If fight club What seemed like a warning in the 1990s now seems like the perfect examination of today’s internet culture.

1 Mark Zuckerberg, “The Social Network”

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Image via Sony Pictures

The social network becomes more relevant by the day as Facebook restricts free speech and contributes to the spread of malicious fake news channels.

In many ways, Fincher’s 2010 biography by Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) seems to be the genesis of one of today’s most destructive public figures. Any sympathy Eisenberg inspires at the beginning of the film disappears entirely once his true colors are revealed.

NEXT:David Fincher Confirms ‘Se7en’ Is Getting a 4K Remaster

Dustin Huang

Dustin Huang is a 24ssports U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. He has covered climate change extensively, as well as healthcare and crime. Dustin Huang joined 24ssports in 2021 from the Daily Express and previously worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of Cambridge University. Languages: English. You can get in touch with me by emailing: dustinhuang@24ssports.com.

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