Jake Goldstein-Street’s review published on Letterboxd:
I am not the Zodiac. And if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you.
I really can't express the excitement I had starting this movie without knowing a whole lot about it and then quickly finding out it was about journalism.
David Fincher is never one to shy away from the disturbed. Instead, he seems to revel in it and this is a masterclass of the crime genre. It's not necessarily a thriller, but the machinations are thrilling all the same. It's the clear precursor to Fincher's MINDHUNTER project on Netflix, which is top notch.
The early zodiac scenes are very well-constructed and Fincher is really smart about how he develops that enigmatic character. He shows you his deeds and his voice, but doesn't let you see his face, so you're left guessing also. Other movies would show you the killer in the beginning and lift the mystique too early for it to be an effective crime drama.
This movie moves through time pretty well, also. It's hard to tell a story over a 25-year period and Fincher does it believably, even if the characters don't age that much over the course of the movie. But even with that, everything fits.
Definitely one of my favorite Fincher products from a director whose filmography is nearly spotless.
