10 Best Scenes In David Fincher's Filmography
From gruesome kills to mind-bending twists, a David Fincher scene will always stick with you.
With Mank making the rounds after its recent Netflix debut, David Fincher has proved once again that he's one of the few visual auteurs who doesn't put his style above the substance. Thanks to his insistence on doing multiple takes, he’s gotten great performances out of inconsistent actors like Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg. And even though he doesn't write his scripts, Fincher breathes such life into them that he can turn a dark character study into a successful crowd-pleaser.
Despite most of Fincher's films clocking in at over two hours each, none of his scenes overstay their welcome or repeat themselves; they all feed into a greater whole. But that doesn't mean we can't show them some individual love!
Whether these scenes melt your mind with an ingenious twist or make you squirm and sweat with tension, you can't keep your eyes off them. Major spoilers ahead!
10. Cold Open - House of Cards
Back in 2013, the idea of dropping an entire season of television exclusively to your laptop seemed unconventional. Leave it to David Fincher to help pave a new road to consuming original content! While House of Cards stumbled through its turbulent final season due to the scandals surrounding star Kevin Spacey, the hit Netflix show got off to such a strong start. With one cold opening, Fincher captured the political thriller's icy tone and fourth wall-shattering narration while at the same time creating a visual blueprint for the series as a whole.
Upon finding a fatally wounded dog in his neighborhood, Congressman Frank Underwood confides to the audience that he despises “useless pain” and euthanizes the dying animal with his bare hands. This brutal introduction gives us a perfect glimpse of Frank's swift, ruthless nature while foreshadowing how he will use other people's pain to his advantage throughout the series.
Once Frank washes the blood from his hands, the scene smoothly transitions from the dark streets of D.C. to a glamourous party celebrating the incoming president-elect. Frank uses this shiny occasion as an opportunity to let us in on his plans. Showcasing his biting yet poetic language, he introduces us to all the major players in the story and outlines how he will use them to attain power.
As the opening credits roll, we know without a doubt that Frank will be the driving force that sets this wild ride in motion.