How Does The Killer Compare To Other Films By David Fincher? Definitive Ranking Of All 12 Movies

Summary

• David Fincher's new movie, The Killer, was hyped and highly praised by critics.
• However, if we look at the ratings given by casual viewers, The Killer is at the bottom of the ranking of all of Fincher's movies, with only Alien 3 getting a worse score.
• The reason for such a negative consensus is that many viewers found the movie boring and somewhat pretentious.

Over the course of his long Hollywood career, David Fincher has established himself as a legendary filmmaker with a meticulous eye for detail. This perfectionism has secured Fincher's status as a must-see director.

All of his films are eagerly anticipated by fans, and nearly every one of them becomes a hit. That's why The Killer, which landed on Netflix on November 10th, has generated such a media buzz.

The Killer

Adapting the eponymous French graphic novel, Fincher worked for the first time with Michael Fassbender, who portrayed the main character, a skilled professional assassin changing names in every scene and constantly chiming his own rules of successful target liquidation.

The scrupulous approach, clearly inspired by Fincher's own workflow, helps the protagonist formulate a plan of action when his family and own life are threatened.

The Killer inherits many familiar Fincher-style details from its predecessors, such as subdued lighting, an atmosphere of dread and mystery, and a sympathetic, relatable (despite his career) character.

And early reviews showed the film to be a worthy effort from the famed filmmaker. But what did audiences think?

The Audience Rating

Where does The Killer stand among Fincher's other works?

The most popular review sites, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, give very similar results when it comes to ranking all 12 of Fincher's films from worst to best.

1. Alien³ (1992) - Rotten Tomatoes: 47%, IMDb: 6.4

2. The Killer (2023) - Rotten Tomatoes: 59%, IMDb: 6.8

3. Mank (2020) - Rotten Tomatoes: 63%, IMDb: 6.8

4. Panic Room (2002) - Rotten Tomatoes: 64%, IMDb: 6.8

5. Zodiac (2007) - Rotten Tomatoes: 77%, IMDb: 7.7

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Rotten Tomatoes: 80%, IMDb: 7.8

7. The Game (1997) - Rotten Tomatoes: 84%, IMDb: 7.7

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Rotten Tomatoes: 86%, IMDb: 7.8

9. The Social Network (2010) - Rotten Tomatoes: 87%, IMDb: 7.8

10. Gone Girl (2014) - Rotten Tomatoes: 87%, IMDb: 8.1

11. Se7en (1995) - Rotten Tomatoes: 95%, IMDb: 8.6

12. Fight Club (1999) - Rotten Tomatoes: 96%, IMDb: 8.8

As you can see, the users of both platforms do not agree with the critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Killer is the second Fincher film to receive a rotten status with 59%. In contrast, critics gave it an 85%.

So why did casual viewers dislike The Killer? Mostly because they were bored by the plot development and disappointed by the finale. The plot is slow-burning and provides some mystery and intrigue that just fades away by the end.

The deeper levels of the story and the reflection on the director himself didn't go unnoticed by the general audience, but felt a bit pretentious rather than mind-blowing.

So if you are in the mood for Fincher today, you should probably rewatch Fight Club. There's hardly any movie that can top it.