The Director's Series: David Fincher, No. 4


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer
Director: David Fincher
About: Fincher knows his way around a gritty crime drama. That's certainly the case with this film, which is a re-make of a foreign film based on the popular novel. We knew how the story was going to go, and still there's power in this adaptation. From the opening credit sequence and song, we are plunged into this world. I liked the performances and the way Fincher put it all together. Some of the content is quite dark, especially Mara's early storylines. But the way the film lays it out works. The look here is strong and it was a film that stuck with me when I saw it in theaters and still does.

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