David Fincher movies in order

After spending the majority of the 1980s and the early 1990s directing music videos for high-profile artists including Madonna, Billy Idol, and Paula Abdul, amongst others, filmmaker David Fincher made the leap to directing movies. His feature debut came in 1992, via the Alien sequel, Alien 3, then from here he went on to direct some of the greatest thrillers and dramas of all time.

In fact, over the decades Fincher has built up an enviable catalogue of titles which includes the likes of Fight Club and Gone Girl. His pictures are generally considered to be carefully constructed affairs which speak for themselves, with most attracting a strong reception from audiences and critics alike.

Want to know what Fincher films you might have missed? Then keep reading. Below you will find a list of all his films, moving from decade to decade.

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1990s

As noted above, Fincher began his career directing music videos. Some of his best-known videos included Sting’s ‘Englishman in New York’, Jermaine Stewart’s ‘We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off’, and Madonna’s iconic ‘90s hit, ‘Vogue’.

However in 1992 Fincher started to expand his range by helming Alien 3 – the third and at that point in time, seemingly final entry in the Alien movie series. It was an experience Fincher would never forget, although this was for all the wrong reasons.

Plagued with backstage problems, as well as studio interference, the finished film did not reflect Fincher’s vision. However, the director did not let this deter him and he pushed ahead with his film career, taking on the dark thriller, Seven as his next project.

Working with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, Seven proved to be a far more satisfying experience. The film focused on a killer who used the seven deadly sins as his inspiration for murder.

Following his success with Seven, Fincher’s next film was the Michael Douglas thriller, The Game. This was another dark picture, and yet another strong outing for Fincher.

The Game wasn’t a huge financial success, but it did continue to highlight Fincher’s skills as a filmmaker. To date, The Game is one of the director’s most underrated movies, with a superb central performance from Douglas.

And then from The Game, Fincher moved onto Fight Club. Re-teaming with Brad Pitt, Fight Club told a mind-boggling tale about a white collar worker who forms an underground fight club with a soap salesman.

David Fincher’s movies during the 1990s included:

• Alien 3 (1992)
• Seven (1995)
• The Game (1997)
• Fight Club (1999)

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2000s

Moving into the 2000s and Fincher’s first film in this decade was the tense home invasion thriller, Panic Room. Starring Jodie Foster, the film focused on a mother and her daughter who are forced to lock themselves inside their panic room when three burglars break into their new home.

Following on from Panic Room, Fincher’s next film was the mystery thriller, Zodiac. Featuring an all-star cast which included Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jake Gyllenhaal, the movie focused on the crimes of the real-life Zodiac killer who committed a series of murders in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s.

And then finally, Fincher’s third film in the ‘00s saw him team-up with Brad Pitt for a third time, for the perplexing fantasy drama, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie was a critical and commercial hit, and became a multi-Academy Award winner in the process, taking home Best Art Direction, Best Make-up, and Best Visual Effects.

Fincher’s movies during the ‘00s included:

• Panic Room (2002)
• Zodiac (2007)
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

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2010s

Into the 2010s and Fincher kicked off the decade with the biographical drama, The Social Network. The film focused on the early years of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.

Next up came The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starring Daniel Craig, followed by Gone Girl with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Gone Girl would prove to be another big hit for Fincher, becoming his most successful film so far.

Fincher’s movies during the 2010s included:

• The Social Network (2010)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
• Gone Girl (2014)

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2020s

And finally, into the 2020s and David Fincher continued his directing work with the multi-Academy Award winning biographical drama, Mank, which focused on screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, before calling the shots on the action-thriller, The Killer. Both films were produced for Netflix, and both were well received.

Fincher’s movies during the 2020s included:

• Mank (2020)
• The Killer (2023)

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So those are David Fincher’s movies, but which are his best work? Is Panic Room a top tier title, or is Mank his signature piece? Perhaps you think Alien 3 deserves more credit than it received back in 1992, or you simply can’t get enough of Seven?! 

Whichever movie you think ranks highest, be sure to make it known. Not everyone is up-to-date with Fincher’s films, so get your recommendations in! 

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Editor/Writer/Film Watcher

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post about David Fincher on It’s A Stampede! – I hope it has proved useful. For more useful posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.