Ranking Every De-aging Movie Effect Ever

It's strange that one of the earliest uses of de-aging technology has stood the test of time and remains one of the most powerful examples of how to use it well, but it just goes to show the value of a director who knows how to properly utilize cutting-edge technology.

David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released ten years ago and yet it remains arguably the most extensive use of the technology to date. Throughout the film, Brad Pitt plays Benjamin Button (a man who ages backward) through every stage of his life. From his senior years to his teenage ones, Pitt's performance as Button is consistently a remarkable feat of both digital effects and acting.

All the more impressive is the fact that Button is the film's lead. The entire film's success or failure hinges on whether or not audiences can empathize with Benjamin Button. To gamble the entire film's success on an untested effect is the exact kind of crazy thing that only a director like Fincher would risk, but it pays off in spades.

Fincher's visual precision, use of digital cameras, and well-established lighting techniques all establish an aesthetic that lends itself to accommodating the CGI performance. Sure, there are hiccups here and there, but the overwhelming majority of the work here remains game-changing to this day.