David Fincher

Since making the leap from directing award-winning music videos and commercials to feature-length movies, David Fincher has become one of Hollywood's most successful and inventive filmmakers. While his directorial debut, Alien 3, met an unfairly tepid response, his striking and exceedingly dark sophomore effort, Seven, became an instant thriller classic, and marked his first collaboration with longtime friend Brad Pitt, who would go on to anchor later Fincher successes Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Fincher truly settled in as a cinematic force with the former film, a violent and subversively humorous critique on consumerism that displayed his discerning use of CGI effects. The director stepped out of his comfort zone in 2010 with The Social Network, the Aaron Sorkin-ized true story of the birth and exponential growth of Facebook, but he managed to maintain his signature moody shooting style. With jarring camera angles, razor-sharp editing, and imaginative lighting, Fincher's films examine human reactions to extraordinary situations, from the reverse-aging phenomena of Benjamin Button to the real-life serial-killer investigation of Zodiac. Fincher has a penchant for the transgressive—often underscored by biting wit—and this approach, combined with his chiaroscuro visuals and depictions of flawed, layered characters, have set him apart as an innovator and auteur.