Give me murder mystery and investigative reporting done well and I'll eat it up.

As detailed as this telling of the Zodiac killer is, it's still impressive the amount of material Fincher fits in 2 1/2 hours. It's long, but thanks to an efficient pacing and nearly every scene feeling important, it doesn't cross the line in becoming a chore to watch. The movie also does a great job of breaking the movie into different phases as the baton is passed back and forth between Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, and (although not as much in the back third) Downey Jr. Ultimately these leads to Gyllenhaal sprinting the final 100 meters.