Zodiac-2007

Director David Fincher

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. 

Top 250 Films #223

Scott’s Review #1,134

Reviewed April 16, 2021

Grade: A

Zodiac (2007) is an excellent film in its own right. The attention to detail circa the 1960s and 1970s is spot on and adds to the flavor of the entire experience.

The locale of San Francisco is moody and riddled with the antics of the self-professed Zodiac Killer.

With excellent acting, the sum of its parts makes for a wonderful film experience.

The film is incredibly well-paced, character-driven, and layered in rich texture. What more can be asked of a cinematic production? It simply has it all and will engage any viewer craving mystery and intrigue.

David Fincher, as the director, creates a world unto itself with carefully crafted sets, artistic nuances, and, of course, a superb story. A lesson learned is that sometimes evil exists and cannot be caught despite best efforts, and the ramifications are endless.

Painfully, the characters in Zodiac slowly realize this.

Zodiac is based on the best-selling non-fiction book by Robert Graysmith, a pivotal character in the film. The novel is very similar to James Elroy’s 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which also explores an unsolved case set in California.

The film tells the story of the search for the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized the foggy San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Investigators (Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards) and reporters (Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.) become obsessed with learning the killer’s identity and bringing him to justice.

Meanwhile, Zodiac claims victim after victim and taunts the authorities with endless and specifically graphic letters, bloodstained clothing, and cryptic messages shrouded in menacing phone calls.

The case remains one of the United States’ most infamous unsolved crimes.

Much of the acclaim must go to the three actors cast in the central roles, and Gyllenhaal is at the top of his game in the leading role. As cartoonist Robert Graysmith, he is the main hero and the person who spearheads the investigation, prompting disbelievers to listen to him.

Gyllenhaal is sensitive, sympathetic, and obsessed, and at first is perceived as a laughingstock, but audiences will immediately get behind the man, thanks to Gyllenhaal’s powerful acting.

The character-driven approach continues as Mark Ruffalo gives a wonderful portrayal of Inspector David Toschi. The tough-as-nails, no-nonsense approach led Toschi to obsession and fudging of evidence.

Finally, Robert Downey Jr. provides energetic gusto as Paul Avery, a journalist who turns to drugs and alcohol because of the intensity and emotional investment in the case.

Plenty of red herrings make the film fun, and the prime suspect of Arthur Leigh Allen, played by character actor John Carroll Lynch, may or may not be the assailant.

It’s breathtaking watching all the twists and turns in this ferociously complex film.

Zodiac is based on real events and is reportedly extremely historically accurate. Fincher and others spent eighteen months conducting their investigation and research into the Zodiac murders.

So, authenticity is everywhere in this film.

Watching a film that begins in 1969 and ends in 1983 is a joy for someone who grew up in that era. Fincher drizzles the film with timely automobiles, clothing, and other sets, making it feel like walking into a time capsule.

I’m sure this will only add to the viewer’s enjoyment.

For fans of films about the Zodiac Killer, the 1971 film Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood, delivers an exceptional experience based on the real-life case.

But Fincher’s Zodiac is just as good.

Despite the behemoth running time- two hours and thirty-seven minutes, Zodiac (2007) is an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

The pulsating yet prowling pace is worth several viewings to appreciate the juiciness of all of the elements David Fincher offers.

A hefty round of applause is deserved.