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Critics Consensus

A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the '70s than he does on gory details of murder. Read critic reviews

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Zodiac videos, zodiac photos.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. 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 cryptic messages, cyphers and menacing phone calls.

Rating: R (Drug Material|Brief Sexual Images|Language|Some Strong Killings)

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & thriller

Original Language: English

Director: David Fincher

Producer: Mike Medavoy , Arnold Messer , Bradley J. Fischer , James Vanderbilt , Ceán Chaffin

Writer: James Vanderbilt

Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 2007 wide

Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013

Box Office (Gross USA): $33.0M

Runtime: 2h 37m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Warner Bros., Phoenix Pictures, Paramount

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby SRD, SDDS, DTS

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Jake Gyllenhaal

Robert Graysmith

Mark Ruffalo

Dave Toschi

Robert Downey Jr.

Anthony Edwards

Bill Armstrong

Dermot Mulroney

Melvin Belli

Elias Koteas

Jack Mulanax

Donal Logue

John Carroll Lynch

Arthur Leigh Allen

Clea Duvall

Linda Ferrin

Chloë Sevigny

Kathleen John

Charles Schneider

Jim McNichols

Bill Hamlet

Cecelia Shepard

Adam Goldberg

Duffy Jennings

Templeton Peck

Zach Grenier

Mel Nicolai

John Hemphill

David Fincher

James Vanderbilt

Mike Medavoy

Arnold Messer

Bradley J. Fischer

Ceán Chaffin

Louis Phillips

Executive Producer

Harris Savides

Cinematographer

Film Editing

David Shire

Original Music

Donald Graham Burt

Production Design

Keith P. Cunningham

Art Director

Victor J. Zolfo

Set Decoration

Casey Storm

Costume Design

Laray Mayfield

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Critic Reviews for Zodiac

Audience reviews for zodiac.

David Fincher crafts another well-made serial killer thriller, but instead of the typical thrills associated with these films, we get a very talkative but engrossing mystery. Of course, the film is based on a true story. A case when the killer was never truly caught. This means that the ending is rather anti-climactic as it should probably be. The film doesn't make for the most satisfying film, unlike Fincher's other serial killer Seven. The cast is fantastic,except for a rather unfortunate lack of female characters, with Chloe Sevigny sleep walking through a poorly written part. Zodiac isn't Fincher's best film but it is mature, and solid filmmaking. Rating: 72

A very creepy film and historically accurate. Zodiac is another example of how to do a thriller right featuring great performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and more. As well as having lush cinematography, great acting and a well written script. Some scenes I will admit were kind of questionable, but any flaw is easily overlooked. You get very invested in the situation and makes you want to research the real life events, that's how well directed this movie is! If you haven't seen Zodiac yet, please do so! Good job Fincher!

It was brilliant in the sense that it will keep you on the edge of your seat with mainly just smart and sharp dialogues. That is the magic of having a good cast, fine writing, and skillful directing.

Fincher is probably one of my favorite directors in Hollywood, and it is movies like Zodiac that solidify him as such. The characters in this movie are ridiculously well developed. For a dialogue heavy thriller, Zodiac is every bit as entertaining as an action movie- and it is twice as engrossing. The movie is ultimately a tale about obsession. It chronicles one man's exhausting search for truth, even as his obsession begins to get the better of other parts of his life. The protagonists in this movie are sucked into the intrigue and mystery surrounding the Zodiac Killer, and Fincher captures this intensity and desperation perfectly. At times frightening, at times frustrating, Zodiac is the best police procedural I have ever seen. Gyllenhaal and Ruffalo deliver the script perfectly and manically. And in their borderline hysteria, the viewer is effectively and equally entranced as the characters.

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'Zodiac" is the "All the President's Men" of serial killer movies, with Woodward and Bernstein played by a cop and a cartoonist. It's not merely "based" on California's infamous Zodiac killings, but seems to exude the very stench and provocation of the case. The killer, who was never caught, generously supplied so many clues that Sherlock Holmes might have cracked the case in his sitting room. But only a newspaper cartoonist was stubborn enough, and tunneled away long enough, to piece together a convincing case against a man who was perhaps guilty.

The film is a police procedural crossed with a newspaper movie, but free of most of the cliches of either. Its most impressive accomplishment is to gather a bewildering labyrinth of facts and suspicions over a period of years, and make the journey through this maze frightening and suspenseful. I could imagine becoming hopelessly mired in the details of the Zodiac investigation, but director David Fincher (" Seven ") and his writer, James Vanderbilt , find their way with clarity through the murk. In a film with so many characters, the casting by Laray Mayfield is also crucial; like the only eyewitness in the case, we remember a face once we've seen it.

The film opens with a sudden, brutal, bloody killing, followed by others not too long after -- five killings the police feel sure Zodiac committed, although others have been attributed to him. But this film will not be a bloodbath. The killer does his work in the earlier scenes of the film, and then, when he starts sending encrypted letters to newspapers, the police and reporters try to do theirs.

The two lead inspectors on the case are David Toschi ( Mark Ruffalo ) and William Armstrong ( Anthony Edwards ). Toschi, famous at the time, tutored Steve McQueen for " Bullitt " and was the role model for Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. Ruffalo plays him not as a hotshot but as a dogged officer who does things by the book because he believes in the book. Edwards' character, his partner, is more personally worn down by the sheer vicious nature of the killer and his taunts.

At the San Francisco Chronicle , although we meet several staffers, the key players are ace reporter Paul Avery ( Robert Downey Jr., bearded, chain-smoking, alcoholic) and editorial cartoonist Robert Graysmith ( Jake Gyllenhaal ). These characters are real, and indeed the film is based on Graysmith's books about the case.

I found the newspaper office intriguing in its accuracy. For one thing, it is usually fairly empty, and it was true on a morning paper in those days that the office began to heat up closer to deadline Among the few early arrivals would have been the cartoonist, who was expected to work up a few ideas for presentation at the daily news meeting, and the office alcoholics, perhaps up all night, or already starting their recovery drinking. Yes, reporters drank at their desks 40 years ago, and smoked and smoked and smoked.

Graysmith is new on the staff when the first cipher arrives. He's like the curious new kid in school fascinated by the secrets of the big boys. He doodles with a copy of the cipher, and we think he'll solve it, but he doesn't. He strays off his beat by eavesdropping on cops and reporters, making friends with the boozy Avery, and even talking his way into police evidence rooms. Long after the investigation has cooled, his obsession remains, eventually driving his wife ( Chloe Sevigny ) to move herself and their children in with her mom. Graysmith seems oblivious to the danger he may be drawing into his home, even after he appears on TV and starts hearing heavy breathing over the phone.

What makes "Zodiac" authentic is the way it avoids chases, shootouts, grandstanding and false climaxes, and just follows the methodical progress of police work. Just as Woodward and Bernstein knocked on many doors and made many phone calls and met many very odd people, so do the cops and Graysmith walk down strange pathways in their investigation. Because Graysmith is unarmed and civilian, we become genuinely worried about his naivete and risk-taking, especially during a trip to a basement that is, in its way, one of the best scenes I've ever seen along those lines.

Fincher gives us times, days and dates at the bottom of the screen, which serve only to underline how the case seems to stretch out to infinity. There is even time-lapse photography showing the Transamerica building going up. Everything leads up to a heart-stopping moment when two men look, simply look, at one another. It is a more satisfying conclusion than Dirty Harry shooting Zodiac dead, say, in a football stadium.

Fincher is not the first director you would associate with this material. In 1992, at 30, he directed "Alien 3," which was the least of the Alien movies, but even then had his eye ("Alien 3" is one of the best-looking bad movies I have ever seen). His credits include "Se7en" (1995), a superb film about another serial killer with a pattern to his crimes; " The Game " (1997), with Michael Douglas caught in an ego-smashing web; " Fight Club " (1999), beloved by most, not by me; the ingenious terror of Jodie Foster in " Panic Room " (2002), and now, five years between features, his most thoughtful, involving film.

He seems to be in reaction against the slice-and-dice style of modern crime movies; his composition and editing are more classical, and he doesn't use nine shots when one will do. (If this same material had been put through an Avid to chop the footage into five times as many shots, we would have been sending our own ciphers to the studio.) Fincher is an elegant stylist on top of everything else, and here he finds the right pace and style for a story about persistence in the face of evil. I am often fascinated by true crime books, partly because of the way they amass ominous details (the best I've read is Blood and Money , by Tommy Thompson ), and Fincher understands that true crime is not the same genre as crime action. That he makes every character a distinct individual is proof of that; consider the attention given to Graysmith's choice of mixed drink.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Zodiac (2007)

Rated R for graphic violence and drug abuse

157 minutes

Mark Ruffalo as David Toschi

Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery

John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Leigh Allen

Brian Cox as Melvin Belli

Philip Baker Hall as Sherwood Morrill

Chloe Sevigny as Melanie

Anthony Edwards as Armstrong

Charles Fleischer as Bob Vaughn

Zach Grenier as Mel Nicolai

Dermot Mulroney as Capt. Marty Lee

Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith

Elias Koteas as Sgt. Jack Mulanax

Based on the book by

Robert Graysmith
James Vanderbilt

Directed by

David Fincher

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Zodiac Movie Review: David Fincher’s Decade-Defining Masterpiece from the 2000s Remains a Classic

Zodiac is Directed by David Fincher and Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo

David Fincher’s Zodiac remains an undeniable classic since its 2007 release, standing as a pivotal moment in the director’s historic career. In this crime drama, Fincher navigates the web of the Zodiac killer’s decade-spanning reign of terror, creating an atmospheric and compelling story that has only grown in cultural significance and critical acclaim over the years.

Zodiac stood out not only as David Fincher’s best film at the time of its release but also as a precursor to the high-quality content and thematic depth he would explore in subsequent releases. The film showcases Fincher’s notoriously meticulous attention to detail, combining true-to-life sets with digital effects to recreate the San Francisco Bay Area with unparalleled precision. This commitment to authenticity serves as a foundation for the narrative to unfold naturally and realistically.

The ensemble cast, led by Jake Gyllenhaal , Robert Downey Jr. , and Mark Ruffalo , delivers outstanding performances that help elevate Zodiac to another level. Gyllenhaal, in particular, takes center stage as Robert Graysmith, the cartoonist consumed by an obsessive quest to unmask the Zodiac killer. The film weaves in and out of the lives of its protagonists, spanning the years from the rise of the Zodiac killer to Graysmith’s meticulous and thorough documentation of the case.

But what sets Zodiac apart from other serial killer movies is its clinical approach to various other genres. It seamlessly transitions between being a taut, thrilling thriller, an obsessive procedural, a poignant portrayal of time passing, and, even in fleeting moments, a haunting horror movie. The film’s runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes may seem daunting on paper, but David Fincher’s slick and stylish design , coupled with the cast’s delivery of an incredible script, creates a movie that captivates and mesmerizes, making time seemingly fly by.

Fincher’s ability to merge practical and computer-generated effects is on full display, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience. The film’s design is not just a backdrop; it earns the cliché that it’s a character in itself, playing a crucial role in moving the plot along. This detailed, sparse world mirrors the complexity of the case and its enduring impact on those involved.

As the film explores the lives of its characters, each actor shines in different ways. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Graysmith’s obsessive pursuit is remarkably captivating and on brand, while Robert Downey Jr.’s character undergoes a transformation, descending into paranoia and addiction. Mark Ruffalo, playing the tormented cop unable to break the case, provides a nuanced performance that adds depth to the film’s exploration of the toll a case like this takes on those involved.

Reviews for Movies like Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac not only serves as a masterclass in procedural crime thrillers but also holds its ground among other classics in the genre. It seamlessly fits into the realm of films like Memories of Murder , Silence of the Lambs , and even Fincher’s own later works like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . The film’s enduring relevance is a testament to its status as a certified classic and a landmark of 21st-century cinema.

Despite its critical acclaim, Zodiac did not receive the widespread recognition it deserved during awards season, overshadowed by other bleak films like There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men . However, its impact has only grown over the years, becoming a favorite for many and solidifying its place as my favorite movie of 2007, a year often regarded as one of the best this century.

Zodiac is a timeless masterpiece that transcends the crime drama genre. David Fincher’s direction, coupled with outstanding performances from the cast, creates an immersive experience that lingers in the minds of viewers. Its intricate narrative, incredible attention to detail, and thematic depth make it not just a film of its time but a work of art that continues to find new audiences time and time again, solidifying its place as one of the greatest movies of the 21st century.

Genre: Crime , Drama , Mystery , Thriller

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Zodiac Film Cast and Credits

Jake Gyllenaal as Robert Graysmith

Mark Ruffalo as David Toschi

Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery

Anthony Edwards as William Armstrong

Brian Cox as Melvin Belli

Charles Fleischer as Bob Vaughn

Zach Grenier as Mel Nicolai

Philip Baker Hall as Sherwood Morrill

Elias Koteas as Jack Mulanax

John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Leigh Allen

Dermot Mulroney as Martin Lee

Chloë Sevigny as Melanie

Director: David Fincher

Writer: James Vanderbilt

Cinematography: Harris Savides

Editor: Angus Wall

Composer: David Shire

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'Zodiac' Revisited: The Films of David Fincher

The David Fincher masterpiece is an obsessively-made feature about obsession.

[This is a re-post of an article from my retrospective series on the work of director David Fincher . These articles contain spoilers. ]

Listening to the commentary tracks for Se7en , The Game , Fight Club , and Panic Room , you can hear in Fincher's voice a slight bit of annoyance and frustration. It's not quite bitterness, but there's an acerbic quality from a man who's exhausted and can't help but lay out wry observations. The Panic Room track in particular conveys the sense that no one should ever make a movie because it's a hellish experience meant only for masochists. But his commentaries pick up afterwards, and I believe that's partly because Fincher found his true love: digital.

Digital completely changed the way Fincher made movies, and it allowed him to provide the precision to performances that he'd applied to all other aspects of his pictures. From here on, he sounds much happier, and when talking about Zodiac , it's like a trip down memory lane as he recalls childhood memories of a serial killer who terrorized and tormented a city, and would never be caught. Zodiac is by no means a happy movie, but it's one that feels like part of a revitalized director who found a picture that fits perfectly with his admiration for process, attention to detail, and the cynicism of how a search for "truth" can rip lives apart.

Zodiac is not a serial killer film. Unlike Se7en the Zodiac murders aren't lurid or unnervingly artful. They are absolutely, painfully brutal. He is a force that disrupts both the idyllic and the mundane even though the lead up to the murders are always foreboding. When Darlene Ferrin ( Ciara Hughes ) picks up young Mike Mageau ( Lee Norris ), it's with a long tracking shot that feels predatory. It's from her perspective, but the initial implication is that it's the killer prowling for victims. When the Zodiac guns down Darlene and Mike, the slow-motion photography is absolutely chilling when played with Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (a song Fincher chose because he personally associated it with the time period). This killing is not made to look "cool", and it's given an extra chill when the scene ends with the way the Zodiac says "Good-bye," to the 911 dispatcher.

The second murder at Lake Berryessa is also a disruption. Despite the beautiful setting, the colors are washed out but also clean. It's like looking at an old photo, and not in the way of the 70s-style Paramount logo that opens the movie. The scene is off-center just enough so that when the Zodiac comes in, it's certainly an odd juxtaposition, but not so far off as to be comical, which is saying something when you consider it's a stocky man dressed in black wearing an executioner's hood in broad daylight. And once again, the murder is absolutely brutal with Cecelia Shepard ( Pell James ) screaming as she's stabbed to death.

The final murder, the killing of San Francisco taxicab driver Paul Stine, is perhaps the most "showy" as Fincher takes us on a long, overhead view of the cab making its way to Washington and Cherry before Stine is shot in the neck in the same slow-motion fashion as Darlene and Mike. Like the Zodiac, Fincher chose to change his pattern.

And those are the only murders in the movie.

As Fincher points out in his commentary track, Zodiac is "a newspaper story that becomes an obsession with justice."

I love that the story of Zodiac , the story about a killer who is never brought to justice (and justice itself may be impossible) is arguably Fincher's most personal movie to date. Aside from all of the personal connections, both in terms of where he grew up and his father working in the news business, there's an awareness of trying to branch out and redefine himself as a filmmaker by scaling back down to the bare essentials. "I saw this movie as flying in the face of everything I had done before," says Fincher, "and I saw it as very, very simple in terms of its travel and cause-and-effect."

If you break down Zodiac , it's deeply methodical. We have dates to guide us. The events are largely done without embellishment other than the murders, which are gruesome and spur the imagination to the point where Fincher—who was a stickler for detail on this movie when it came to recreating the time period right down to making sure the San Francisco Chronicle set had pencils in the desks—is willing to bend the truth a bit.

For example, Fincher admits that Darlene and Mike probably knew their attacker, and Zodiac aficionados debate whether or not the killer used a silencer. Fincher's interpretation provides the dramatic flourishes the Zodiac would probably admire, and it's also worth noting that every murder ends with a fade-out as if every killing is a little vignette where we have to step into the Zodiac's world, a world which is embellished, theatrical, and operatic, much like the killer.

Once again (and I'm going to point this out every time), I think Fincher has a disturbing respect for people who are brilliant even if they're also terrible. I do think Fincher's comment about John Doe in Se7en —"more enthusiasm than technique"—applies more to Zodiac, but there's an appreciation of an artist. The letters are artistic expression, and as Fincher says in the commentary, he's fascinated by the "ongoing conversation with someone who is ‘in-process’", and the letters are the hub of that development. One of the things I like about Fincher is that he's kind of fucked up in his interests, but he's not a personality who is constantly reminding you of how "fucked up" he is. He plays it calm, cool, and collected, which is part of what makes his movies so powerful. The most dangerous guy isn't the raving maniac; it's the master planner sitting quietly in the corner of the room.

When we return to hard procedural, everything is cold and detached. It's slightly ironic that Fincher's first digital movie would be for a film set in the 1970s, but it works perfectly in so many ways. It's extremely subtle right down the magnificent visual effects work. Unlike The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , the effects in Zodiac are literally background at certain points. When Toschi ( Mark Ruffalo ) and Armstrong ( Anthony Edwards ) go to investigate the murder at Washington and Cherry, the entire background is green screen, and it's seamless. That may not seem like a huge deal now, but it's damn impressive that the effect perfectly holds up seven years later.

The visual effects and cinematography help provide a ghostly air to the whole proceedings. The methodology of the investigation still has a quick pace and even a dark sense of humor, especially when Paul Avery ( Robert Downey Jr. ) is on screen, and even though it's just Downey doing Downey (aka Tony Stark), it's still amusing (he also has my favorite line in the movie: "Me thinks our friend is a tad bit fuckered in the head."). Zodiac is by no means soulless or mechanical, but it is merciless in the sense of an indifferent universe.

Fincher is still soaking his movie in gorgeous contrasts and deep blacks, but there's a pervading sense of normalcy that makes the movie both melancholy and exciting. We know Toschi, Armstrong, and Robert Graysmith ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) are all smart people, and they can drive the investigation forward. The tragedy is that it doesn't matter . The investigation is paradoxically what eats away at these men. "The Rick Marshalls of this world will suck you dry," Toschi tells Graysmith.

Fincher isn't advocating that people give up trying to catch killers or that procedural movies are dumb. The form of this movie is a true procedural as opposed to Se7en which is lurid thriller, albeit one that's incredibly well-made. Zodiac is a procedural down to the point where Fincher is willing to remove central characters for long stretches of time. We briefly get to know Graysmith and Avery, and then once Toschi and Armstrong enter the picture, they own it for a large chunk of the movie.

Fincher could have ended Zodiac at the screening of Dirty Harry . It would be a nice little button on a story about guys who tried to get Zodiac , they didn't succeed, and movies provide the comfort of justice reality refuses to provide. That's an abbreviated version of the film, but it's telling and not showing. We know that sometimes cops don't catch the bad guys. It's unusual that they missed one as prominent as the Zodiac, but that's sometime how it goes. What remains unanswered is the cost of justice, and how an unsolved puzzle can undo someone as pure and good-hearted as Graysmith.

When Graysmith renters the picture, Zodiac is now an idea. We've met Arthur Lee Allen ( John Carroll Lynch ) and lost him. The practical case has fallen apart, and Graysmith—a lover of puzzles and a freaking boy scout—can't accept that. There has to be some semblance of justice in the world. It can't be at the mercy of someone who sends letters that were, as Fincher puts it in the commentary track, "Designed to be a real ‘fuck you’ to the people who were hunting him."

Fincher notes that the movie took more than its fair share of dramatic license with the story, which is fine because Zodiac is not a docudrama, and it's not about "catching" Zodiac, which is why the movie is enduring and captivating. It's about the impossibility of justice and how the search for truth may not be worth the answers. "I need to know who he is," Graysmith tells his wife ( Chloë Sevigny ) as she's leaving him.

Except catching Zodiac doesn't make the world a better place, and that's why the movie is so indifferent to his passion. It's still beautifully shot, and it matches Graysmith's dread, but it never indulges his passion. David Fincher isn't on Graysmith's side, nor does he particularly pity his protagonist. Granted, Graysmith doesn't even take a breath to feel pain over losing his family before he hops right back into the investigation. There's the sense that if he can just get one answer, then the world will be right. Fincher doesn't even particularly care if Allen was the killer. It's just a narrative through line.

Graysmith does eventually get to look Allen in the eye—a look that took 14 years after the first murder—and that's all the "justice" you can get. Justice isn't about righting a wrong, or punishing the wicked. At most, justice provides solace, and for Graysmith, it was at particularly high cost. Yes, he got a book out of it (one that's horribly written; I powered through Zodiac Unmasked and it doesn't know if it wants to follow the case chronologically or jump right to pointing the finger at Allen), but that's a minor victory compared to everything that came before.

With such a heavy reliance on character-driven procedural aspects, there's not much else to focus on. Aside from the killings, there's hardly any embellishment, which is why there's so much emphasis on the performances. Zodiac has a propulsive plotline, but that plotline eats away at its characters. Fincher already did plenty of takes on his other movies, but digital allowed him to be as exacting with his actors as he was on any other part of the production. Some actors enjoy this process and embrace it as a rehearsal period. Others: not so much (you can see Gyllenhaal borderline whining on the set in the making-of documentary, and Downey infamously left mason jars of urine lying around in protest). The key difference is that digital brings everything in line. There's a crispness to the performances that's slightly sharper than in previous movies. This may seem like a minor detail, but keep in mind that at one point during the production of Zodiac , Fincher told his costume designer to remove one line of thread in the eye-slit of the Zodiac's executioner's hood. The technology was now as precise as the director.

The movie closes with the adult Mike Mageau ( Jimmi Simpson ) identifying Allen as his attacker while "Hurdy Gurdy Man" plays once again. That night on July 4, 1969 never really ended.

Death would follow Fincher to his next picture, but it would be soaked in a lush romance that struggled with life, love, time, and cross-purposes.

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House of Cards and the Director's Future

The Ending Of Zodiac Explained

David Fincher's " Zodiac " is a gripping mystery-thriller about a real life serial killer who stalked the Bay Area in the 1960s and '70s. It follows detectives, reporters, and one obsessive political cartoonist as they try to stop the spotlight-loving Zodiac in his tracks. The crew works with — and against — each other to crack the case of Zodiac's real identity and decipher his coded messages to the press, all while the killer's body count gets higher.

"Zodiac" is a study of obsession and an illustration of a frustrating investigation. The mystery was unsolved when the movie came out in 2007, and remains so today. Still, the film explores how important it is to be persistent in the pursuit of the truth, and how corrosive the cost of that pursuit can be. It also examines the impact the attention economy has on killers, victims, and those for whom murder might be "good business."

While "Zodiac" is considered a neo-noir classic, it has been known to confound audiences. The film's ending can be seen as confusing, anticlimactic — or even just dead wrong. Join us as we sort through piles of false leads and circumstantial evidence to finally decipher the ending of "Zodiac."

What you need to remember about the plot

Robert Graysmith ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is an awkward single dad working as a political cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle when the first Zodiac letter arrives. Crime reporter Paul Avery ( Robert Downey Jr. ) follows up on the letter to the editor, in which he claims recent killings as his own and demands his cipher be made front-page news. Graysmith might be bad with people but he's great with puzzles. His insights into how Zodiac operates bring him into Avery and ace detective Dave Toschi's ( Mark Ruffalo ) orbit. The unlikely trio navigate decades of dead-ends, miscommunications, jurisdictional grudges, and systemic failures as they try and fail to get their man.

As time marches on, Toschi turns to other cases and Avery hits the bottle, but Graysmith cannot shake his obsession with finding out who the Zodiac killer could really be. What starts as a noble quest to bring a killer to justice ends with Graysmith neglecting his family in order to start his own somewhat doomed investigation. Under the guise of writing his "Zodiac" book, Graysmith almost conclusively links the crimes to the movie's most likely prime suspect — Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch). Too bad he's already been cleared by the authorities.

In many detective thrillers, unlikely allies band together to solve the mystery and save the day in the nick of time. In "Zodiac", that misfit gang takes forever to finally come together, then splinter, then only sort of reunite — all over the course of decades. While "Zodiac" isn't a typical "teamwork makes the dream work" detective story, it breaks viewers' hearts with how good a team Toschi, Avery, and Graysmith could have been with a little more communication and a lot less stacked against them.

The seeds of doubt

Though "Zodiac" and the Graysmith books favor Arthur Leigh Allen as the prime suspect, the filmmakers didn't want to be too conclusive. In real life, there are a multitude of suspects who could be the Zodiac killer — or killers. To account for the multiple suspects and the variation of eye witness accounts, the masked or otherwise obscured Zodiac killer is played by different actors in each attack portrayed in "Zodiac."

The slight shifts in the actors' height, build, and vocal tone allow for a paranoid uncertainty to infect much of the film, even when the interview sequence with the Zodiac watch-wearing, Wing Walker boot-sporting, bloody knife-having Arthur Leigh Allen seems to scream "this is the guy right here!" Audiences, like Toschi, feel absolutely certain they have their man — until doubt is cast again when Graysmith hears footsteps in the basement.

Grown-up Zodiac survivor Mike Mageau (Jimmi Simpson) identifies Arthur Leigh Allen out of a photostrip line-up, but his (and our) certainty is immediately undercut by doubt. The detective asks Mageau if he's sure, and when Mageau taps another suspect's face to comment on how his attacker had a rounder face like this second man, both detective and victim seem a little bit flustered by how neither of them can be quite sure. Mageau settles on Allen in the end, but the seeds of doubt are already cast.

What happened at the end of Zodiac?

After the Zodiac goes quiet, Graysmith is more obsessed than ever. He neglects his family and soon-to-be second ex-wife in favor of finding Z's "one mistake." Toschi is working other murder cases — it's not like Zodiac was the only game in town for the last couple decades. Avery, ever more paranoid after Zodiac targeted him with a personal "you're doomed" Halloween card, has started writing for a tabloid rag and drinking heavily. Graysmith re-investigates on his own and gets into hot water chasing up a lead with similar handwriting to Z.

After Graysmith earns his Survive A Creepy Basement with a Possible Serial Killer badge, he finds Z's "mistake" after all. Graysmith chats with Melvin Belli's (Brian Cox) housekeeper about the threatening calls Belli received on December 18, when he was out of town. The voice told the housekeeper he was calling on his birthday. Graysmith finds a handy copy of Allen's driver's license, and notes his birthday — December 18. Graysmith races to present his bouquet of circumstantial evidence to Toschi, but, while Toschi seems to agree, Graysmith has nothing to prove his case in a court of law.

Still, Graysmith goes to see Leigh for himself at an Ace Hardware, and, while nothing is said, a moment of recognition seems to pass between the two men. Later, Graysmith writes his book, and it's a smash success. The case is reopened, and Mike Mageau, all grown up, ID's Allen — who dies of a heart attack before any charges can be pressed. If it weren't for this unspoken moment of understanding, Graysmith might not have written his book, the case may not have gotten new attention, and Mageau probably wouldn't have been contacted to ID Allen.

Closure for a cold case

The Zodiac murders have remained unsolved for decades, so it's not exactly like "Zodiac" could pull a "happy" ending. However, viewers sucked into the movie's investigation wanted something from "Zodiac" — the truth. Fincher doesn't give it to them. "I think Truman Capote wrote a really interesting thing in 'In Cold Blood' — that there is no truth," Fincher said of the film's ending in Graysmith's book " Shooting Zodiac ."

Still, despite grim reality, screenwriter James Vanderbilt worked to create a satisfying if bittersweet arc to the film. "Fairly early on, I came up with the scene in the hardware store," Vanderbilt says in a behind the scenes featurette . "And I said, 'Okay, this is how we're going to be able to give an emotional closure to the picture if not sort of a plot closure." The scene in question is the onscreen culmination of Graysmith's obsession. As his apartment fills with files on the Zodiac, it empties of any life beyond the case.

But, despite his efforts to find actual evidence, Graysmith tells his soon-to-be second ex-wife, "I need to look him in the eye, and I need to know that it's him." When Graysmith tracks Allen down, he achieves that goal — along with a terrible transformation. Graysmith's quest for truth has changed him from a bright-eyed, innocent young man to a forever haunted one. For what it's worth, the Ace Hardware scene gives Graysmith (and audiences) a sense of closure real-life victims can't have — and a sense of closure the real investigation has never achieved.

A study of obsession

Our desires can sometimes cost us dearly, and "Zodiac" explores the high price of obsessing over what it is we're after. Of course, the Zodiac killer himself is obsessed — with taking life and showing off his kills. Even though he escapes capture, his desire to be seen as the cleverest serial killer of all time brings him uncomfortably close to it.

Graysmith's obsession with the Zodiac is played as a counterpoint to the Zodiac's obsession with his own twisted fame. At one point, Graysmith even has his kids helping him cross-reference lunar cycles with Zodiac killings. While Graysmith "gets" his man when he goes to the hardware store and looks Allen in the eye, justice isn't done. Yes, his obsessiveness yields a hit book and generates new interest in the case, but it's a bittersweet success — murder has become "good" for Graysmith's business, after all.

Avery's obsession with being the first to scoop the world on the Zodiac killer shifts to paranoia soon enough, and we're led to believe that Avery's fear of falling victim to the killer drives him off the Chronicle masthead. Toschi, meanwhile, is shown to be a by-the-book detective despite how frustrating and painstaking this can be. While Toschi leans on his pragmatism, he can't shake Zodiac. This is why he risks everything (including his badge) to "not" help Graysmith with his unauthorized investigation in the end. Come the finale, it's clear that Zodiac "got" the trio without actually harming them physically.

The voice of reason

Serial killer psychology was just starting to be formally explored during Zodiac's time (see the Fincher-directed TV show " Mindhunter "), and the killer's thirst for blood and attention ups the pressure on our trio. In Graysmith's case, it makes him famous, even if that wasn't his initial intention. Toschi begins the movie as a quick, clever mind who can put himself into a killer's shoes without forgetting about his victims. He ends it much the same, but slightly disgraced by his own desire for attention. When Toschi sends fake fan letters praising himself to Armistead Maupin's column, he comes under suspicion for faking Zodiac letters himself. Despite his demotion for this pick-me move, Toschi's still compelled to help the beyond-compulsive Graysmith.

Graysmith's wife Melanie (Chloe Sevigny) is the only check on his hubris, and, by extension, Toschi's as well. Everyone is so busy playing detective that they ignore the danger they are putting themselves and their families in. By the end of the movie, it becomes clear that the only sensible person is the one who isn't really involved in the case — Melanie. Speaking to Collider , Sevigny said that she started reading Graysmith's book when she got the part but she gave up on it. "I was like, 'I just don't want to read about this anymore,'" she said. "That's probably how Melanie is. She doesn't want to hear about it anymore. It's this morbid subject. Her kids are threatened. I feel like that's probably how she was. She just wanted it out of her face."

What has the cast and crew of Zodiac said about the ending?

Watching "Zodiac" is a cerebral, paperwork-and-palpitations experience. For as much as it's a straightforward story about a sprawling, decades-long dead-end case, it is also about the exhaustion and exaltation uncertainty holds for Zodiac's investigators. There is always a new way of looking at something; there is always more information; there is always the promise of the case's big break in the next file folder — or buried in evidence already reviewed twice-over.

At times, our gang is convinced the Zodiac's symbol is a gunsight, a film reel focus symbol, or a watch logo. All to say, nothing is certain. Yet, "Zodiac" certainly favors Allen as its prime suspect, much like Toschi and Graysmith did in real life. Still, "Zodiac" makes a point to be just short of definitive. As screenwriter James Vanderbilt explains in a behind the scenes featurette : "This is the conclusion that [Toschi and Graysmith] arrived at. That doesn't necessarily mean that we believe that that's the truth, but that's what our characters believe is the truth."

Any casual online search of "Zodiac killer theories" will return an almost endless critique of the "facts" presented in "Zodiac," as well as in Graysmith's books. One of those books, "Shooting Zodiac," details the 18 months of research Fincher and his team conducted with detectives, witnesses, and survivors. "There's an enormous amount of hearsay in any circumstantial case, and I wanted to look some of these people in the eye and see if I believed them," Fincher told The New York Times . "It was an extremely difficult thing to make a movie that posthumously convicts somebody."

Zodiac's alternate ending

"Zodiac" largely sticks to the narrative in place in the Graysmith books, as well as conclusions drawn by Fincher and his fellow filmmakers during their pre-production research (though Fincher told The New York Times that he refused to include things "that we don't have a police report for"). What's interesting is that the first draft of "Zodiac" had a different ending , closing on a scene where Graysmith floors a bunch of dismissive agents with the information he has gathered over the course of a decade. When they ask him to stick around for a while to discuss his theory further, he says: "Sorry. I gotta go pick up my kids."

David Fincher's Director's Cut shows a more concerted effort to officially name Allen as the prime suspect, and embellishes the Marvin Belli "birthday mistake" safari trip. Fincher also told The New York Times of an omission he had to make for time — a two-minute music montage over black that would show the passage of four years via music, starting with Joni Mitchell and ending with Donna Summer. Instead, the sequence is replaced with a card reading "Four Years Later."

In most interviews Fincher gave about the film, he remarked how it was a stylistic departure, a movie centered on people talking rather than visual spectacle. Known for his obsessive takes even before "Zodiac," it's easy to see how working in uncharted, talkier waters might have encouraged Fincher to ask even more of his actors — like takes in the high double digits. While it's certain Fincher chose what he considered the best performances, the investigative audience member can't help but wonder what else he left on the cutting room floor that might have changed the ending of the movie.

The most dangerous game

At several points in the film, Toschi says that there are many more murders to solve other than the Zodiac's — even if that truth does nothing to dull his own obsession. The clues, the ciphers, the dead-end detection, the other suspects, and the "confessions" can make anyone scrolling through the details as obsessive as Graysmith in no time. David Fincher is clearly one such obsessive. His months of research and interviewing, let alone time spent filmmaking "Zodiac," are the product of a connection to the killings that began in childhood. Fincher grew up in Marin County, on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. As a kid, Zodiac created a panic around school buses after he threatened, via publication, to "shoot the kiddies" as they got off the bus. Fincher picnicked at Lake Berryessa, the site of one of the Zodiac's deadly attacks.

Late in the movie, a witness (Clea DuVall) tells Graysmith he has "the look" — a haunted, hollow-eyed look she's seen before on other people obsessed with the Zodiac killer. Fincher must know that look well — his body of work has explored killers and what makes them tick from many angles. However, because it's a true story and one he was so close to growing up, "Zodiac" was extra important to Fincher. "He knows he's taking a stab at eternity," Mark Ruffalo told The New York Times . "He knows that this will outlive him. And he's not going to settle for anything other than satisfaction, deep satisfaction. Somewhere along the line he said, 'I will not settle for less.'"

Regardless of timeless fame, the ending of "Zodiac" tells us that this is a film made with a meticulous eye, a careful hand, and a desperate heart — all trying to discover an impossible truth.

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Europe edition

Mark Ruffalo, left, and Adam Goldberg in Zodiac

Zodiac review – David Fincher’s terrific, seductive account of real-life serial killings

It is impossible not to enjoy Zodiac: if enjoy is the word for a picture so often scary and stomach-turning

T he look and the feel and the bulk of David Fincher’s new movie are so seductive. He has made a massively confident and watchable thriller about the unsolved “Zodiac” murders in 1960s San Francisco: the work of a serial killer who sent teasing codes and letters to the local papers, and who is today either dead or still at large, preparing to resume his career.

This was a man who would lay low for months or years between his bloody crimes, while his pursuers - cops, reporters - grew older and more careworn as their own careers unwound. Zodiac spans a 30-year period to the early 1990s: an epic, tangled saga of leads muddled, evidence lost and areas of jurisdiction haggled over. The murder scenes are chilling, counterpointed by the stolid procedural work and the rich background settings. Fincher’s period material is outstanding; the colours of the San Francisco bay look ravishing in images that seem plucked from Hitchcock’s Vertigo, and at one point there is a lovely (and presumably digital) stop-motion historical sequence, recreating the construction of the city’s Trans-america Pyramid.

Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal play two shirtsleeved journalists who are on Zodiac’s case: Downey is Paul Avery, the mercurial crime reporter who dresses like a wrecked aesthete - a sozzled stew of Jimmy Breslin and Oscar Wilde. Gyllenhaal is Robert Graysmith, the paper’s geeky and little-loved cartoonist whose amateur enthusiasm for the case becomes an obsession. Their work alternately helps and hinders the investigating officers, Inspectors David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards).

Our coffee-drinking odd couple do a fair bit of tense perching on each other’s desks in the open-plan 60s newsroom, at one stage looking up together in an image used in the picture’s publicity stills. Fincher is here surely recalling the most dynamic duo of the period: Woodward and Bernstein. But who is to be their Deep Throat? It can only be Zodiac himself, getting in touch with his misogynistic rants, crazy codes and creepy clues.

Zodiac is very different from Fincher’s other serial-killer film Seven. That was in the classical serial-killer genre, in which the culprit has a cogent, unified short-range career, conducted within a limited time-frame, leading to a clear unmasking, if not capture. This movie is quite different: Zodiac’s victims are not governed by, say, the 12 astrological signs. They are just random, anarchic. His story has no clear ending and so clearly belongs to that other genre of muddled, messy, unreadable real life. It is narrated from the investigator’s perspective, but in its elusive sprawl, it is comparable to killer’s-eye-view movies such as Shohei Imamura’s Vengeance Is Mine, Cédric Kahn’s Roberto Succo or Jaime Rosales’ The Hours of the Day. Those were about serial killers who are doing something other than serial-killing for large amounts of screen time: serial killers plugging away at the day job. The killer can muddle along for years without his career coming to any sort of crisis; it may not even be clear to him that he is a “serial killer” in the generally accepted sense of the term.

As his murders tail off, or are attributed to other wackos, Zodiac himself seems like a once-praised but now misunderstood artist who has mysteriously neglected or even abandoned his vocation. In failing to nail him, the wearied cops and newspapermen are like critics who have not delivered a definitive appreciation of his genius.

It is impossible not to enjoy Zodiac: if enjoy is the word for a picture so often scary and stomach-turning. And it certainly isn’t boring, despite a mammoth two-and-a-half hour running time. Fincher’s feel for detail is terrific: the chewed pencils, typewriters and clunky tele-fax machines are very real, and there are some bizarre moments so absurd that they could only have come from real life, such as the conceited lawyer Melvin Belli (Brian Cox) taking a call on live TV from a heavy-breathing weirdo claiming to be Zodiac, and arranging a “secret” rendezvous with him at a location actually revealed on the air: with the inevitable media-cop scrum as squad cars and TV vans scream through the streets to this top-secret address.

Gyllenhaal and Downey’s performances are arguably a little opaque, and Downey plays the dialogue in his trademark swallowed gabble, which is now verging on self-parody. Ruffalo, too, is in danger of getting typecast as the cop, and there is a tricky moment in which his character is taken off the case on the grounds that he forged some Zodiac letters released to the press. Nothing in Ruffalo’s plain-dealing performance casts any light on the vanity or delusion that must have been behind this baffling professional lapse.

Maybe there’s no sense to be made of this unwieldy, unlovely, downbeat story. But there’s no doubting Fincher’s ambition and sheer cinematic virility.

The following correction was printed in the Guardian’s Corrections and clarifications column, Saturday June 9 2007:

In the review below we described Melvin Belli as a “conceited TV psychologist”. In fact he was an American lawyer, famous for personal-injury cases and nicknamed the King of Torts.

Robert Downey Jr
David Fincher
Mark Ruffalo
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2007 Directed by David Fincher

There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer.

The true story of the investigation of the "Zodiac Killer", a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area, taunting police with his ciphers and letters. The case becomes an obsession for three men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.

Jake Gyllenhaal Mark Ruffalo Anthony Edwards Robert Downey Jr. Chloë Sevigny Elias Koteas John Carroll Lynch Brian Cox Dermot Mulroney Charles Fleischer Zach Grenier Philip Baker Hall James Le Gros Donal Logue Richmond Arquette Bob Stephenson John Lacy Ed Setrakian John Getz John Terry Candy Clark June Diane Raphael Ciara Hughes Lee Norris Patrick Scott Lewis Pell James David Lee Smith Jason Wiles Charles Schneider Show All… James Carraway Tom Verica Jimmi Simpson Doan Ly Karina Logue Joel Bissonnette John Mahon Matt Winston Jules Bruff John Ennis J. Patrick McCormack Adam Goldberg Clea DuVall Paul Schulze Adam Trese Penny Wallace John Hemphill Michel Francoeur Thomas Kopache Barry Livingston Christopher John Fields Jack Samson Micah Sauers Zachary Sauers Jessica Baltutis Peter Quartaroli Geoff Callan Michael Hungerford Anna Katarina E.P. McKnight Betty Murphy Jeff Daniel Phillips Shane Woodson Cookie Crawford Cassius M. Willis Judith Drake Phoebe Holston Marty Lodge Cooper Thornton Cazimir Milostan Charlotte Ferguson Phoebe Ferguson Kacey Malmsten Karly Malmsten JD Cullum Stanley B. Herman Roy Lee Jones Michael Rose James Joseph O'Neil Rod Damer John Sarno Gloria Grant Brett Rickaby M.F. Bernier Carter Evans Bill Seward Dave Nemeth Ted Garcia Greg Wolf Barry LeBrock Ione Skye David Winston Barge Hayati Akbas Brad Carr Mitchell Fink Erica Ford Tish Hicks Danielle McKee Derris Nile Carmen Plumb Callie Thompson Bud Davis

Director Director

David Fincher

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Mary Ellen Woods Sally Sue Beisel

Producers Producers

Mike Medavoy Arnold Messer James Vanderbilt Brad Fischer Ceán Chaffin

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Louis Phillips

Writer Writer

James Vanderbilt

Original Writer Original Writer

Robert Graysmith

Casting Casting

Laray Mayfield

Editor Editor

Cinematography cinematography.

Harris Savides

Production Design Production Design

Donald Graham Burt

Art Direction Art Direction

Keith P. Cunningham

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Victor J. Zolfo

Stunts Stunts

Mickey Giacomazzi

Composer Composer

David Shire

Sound Sound

Michael Semanick Addison Teague Ren Klyce David C. Hughes David Parker Richard Hymns

Costume Design Costume Design

Casey Storm

Makeup Makeup

Amy Schmiederer Felicity Bowring

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Miia Kovero Kelvin R. Trahan Trish Almeida

Paramount Warner Bros. Pictures Phoenix Pictures

Releases by Date

28 feb 2007, 01 mar 2007, theatrical limited, 18 may 2007, 02 mar 2007, 17 may 2007, 24 may 2007, 30 may 2007, 31 may 2007, 01 jun 2007, 06 jun 2007, 07 jun 2007, 08 jun 2007, 15 jun 2007, 16 jun 2007, 21 jun 2007, 20 jul 2007, 01 aug 2007, 02 aug 2007, 10 aug 2007, 15 aug 2007, 23 aug 2007, 30 aug 2007, 06 sep 2007, 28 feb 2022, 26 sep 2007, 07 may 2008, 01 sep 2008, 13 aug 2010, 23 jun 2011, 03 sep 2012, 23 apr 2022, 19 nov 2011, releases by country.

Theatrical 13
Theatrical MA15+

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Theatrical 16
Theatrical 14A
Theatrical 15
Physical Blu-Ray
Theatrical limited K-16
Theatrical TP
Theatrical IIB
Theatrical UA
Theatrical 18
Theatrical 14
Theatrical T
Theatrical PG-12
Theatrical 18PL
Theatrical B15

Netherlands

Physical 16 Blu-ray
Physical 16 DVD
TV 16 Veronica

New Zealand

Theatrical R16

Philippines

Theatrical R-13
Theatrical M/12

Russian Federation

Theatrical 18+
Physical 16+ DVD
Theatrical NC-16

South Africa

South korea.

Physical 15 DVD
Physical 15 Blu-ray
Theatrical 6+
Theatrical 16+
Premiere R New York City, New York
Premiere R Los Angeles, California
Theatrical R

United Arab Emirates

Physical DVD

163 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by cait ★★★★★ 44

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

name a scarier line in a movie than “ mr graysmith, i do the posters myself” and “not many people have basements in california”

Review by kate ★★★★½ 7

"Hair was digitally added to the close-ups of Jake Gyllenhaal's knuckles as he draws or holds letters. David Fincher felt that Gyllenhaal's hands were too hairless and pretty."

Happy 10th anniversary to this movie and Jake Gyllenhaal's pretty hands

Review by issy 🥝 ★★★★★ 30

Jake: Oh it’s fine I’ve only been waiting for (looks at watch) 2 hours, wow...

Me: Oh, 2 hours? You think that’s a long time do you? 2 hours? 2 HOURS? Try 2 hours and 42 minutes Jake. Try waiting 2 hours and 42 minutes for the most promising suspect to fucking die before he can be arrested. But you know what makes it even harder, Jake? Try being ANGRY at this 2 hour 42 minute long movie that leaves you with absolutely no justice, just a shit ton of facts that add up to the arrest of one person who physically can’t be arrested and never will be when it’s SO informative with such a good cast and a…

Review by dani✨ ★★★★★ 13

- mr. graysmith, i do the posters myself me: 😳😶🙅🚫❌

Review by ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★½ 8

my favourite mcu movie 💖

Review by emilia ★★★★ 10

the fact that david fincher didn't want to cut any of the script so he just told all the actors to talk really fast is literally so iconic

EDIT: i do not know why this 'review' has so many likes but to answer everyone's questions, no i have no clue if this is true i just read it in the imdb trivia section for the film. so take it up with them if you've got doubts

Review by roks ★★★★★ 7

man i really love this season of buzzfeed unsolved

Review by pilot 2

if i were the zodiac killer i’d turn myself in just to see jake gyllenhaal happy

Review by Karst ★★★★½ 14

I LOVED this wayyyy more than I thought I would. I am so tempted to give it a 5. How is every performance amazing? How am I just getting into Fincher? How is it that I could watch 2 more hours of this without being bored? How has Mark Ruffalo not gotten his damn animal crackers yet?

I WANNA WATCH IT AGAIN

Review by dani✨ ★★★★★ 9

i get so anxious every time the basement scene is on even though i know he's gonna be alright but i can't help and worry about jake's safety

Review by Jim Cummings ★★★★★ 22

This film is a masterpiece, enough said.

AND, for anyone who is interested here are some case facts that were left out of the film: Arthur Leigh Allen attended a college where a brutal murder happened on the football field and the administration got anonymous letters from the killer afterward. Leigh Allen also got a speeding ticket near Lake Berryessa the night of the Vallejo murders. He was 50 miles from his home. I wonder why he was driving so fast... :)

Review by Karst ★★★★★

just as good as i remember it being, this is why society needs puzzle guys

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‘Zodiac’: David Fincher’s Historical Accuracy Is More Specific Than You Can Imagine — Watch

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The true crime story is one of the most enduring genres in film, but few entries are as specific in their attention to detail as David Fincher ‘s “ Zodiac .” The movie just turned 11 years old last month, and Film Radar video essayist Daniel Netzel has marked the occasion with a fascinating new video investigation into “Zodiac’s” historical accuracy.

So what makes Fincher’s masterpiece the most accurate true crime film? As the video explains, Fincher went to great lengths to ensure the film was historically accurate, from recreating a period-accurate San Francisco to building sets that matched their real-word counterparts and even dressing the murder victims in the clothes they were wearing when they died. But the film is even more accurate than you might notice.

In the video below, Netzel layers Fincher’s footage over real interviews from eyewitnesses who were involved with the Zodiac killer in the 1960s. The result is proof Fincher went above and beyond in his attention to detail.

Hunting a Killer as the Age of Aquarius Dies

By Manohla Dargis

March 2, 2007

David Fincher’s magnificently obsessive new film, “Zodiac,” tracks the story of the serial killer who left dead bodies up and down California in the 1960s and possibly the ’70s, and that of the men who tried to stop him. Set when the Age of Aquarius disappeared into the black hole of the Manson family murders, the film is at once sprawling and tightly constructed, opaque and meticulously detailed. It’s part police procedural, part monster movie, a funereal entertainment that is an unexpected repudiation of Mr. Fincher’s most famous movie, the serial-killer fiction “Seven,” as well as a testament to this cinematic savant’s gifts.

Informed by history and steeped in pulp fiction, “Zodiac” stars a trio of beauties — Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo — all at the top of their performance game and captured in out-of-sight high-definition digital by the cinematographer Harris Savides. Mr. Gyllenhaal is the sneaky star of the show as the real-life cartoonist turned writer Robert Graysmith, though he doesn’t emerge from the wings until fairly late, after the bodies and the investigations have cooled. A silky, seductive Mr. Downey plays Paul Avery, a showboating newspaper reporter who chased the killer in print, while Mr. Ruffalo struts his estimable stuff as Dave Toschi, the San Francisco police detective who taught Steve McQueen how to wear a gun in “Bullitt” and pursued Zodiac close to the ground.

The relative unknown James Vanderbilt wrote the jigsaw-puzzle screenplay, working from Mr. Graysmith’s exhaustive, exhausting true-crime accounts of the murders and their investigations, “Zodiac” and “Zodiac Unmasked.” Mr. Graysmith, coyly played by Mr. Gyllenhaal as something of an overgrown Hardy Boy, his great big eyes matched by his great big ambition, was a political cartoonist doodling Nixon noses at The San Francisco Chronicle when Zodiac started sending letters and ciphers to the paper, divulging intimate knowledge of the crimes. The first messages arrived in 1969, the year Zodiac shot one young couple and knifed another in separate Northern California counties before moving on to San Francisco, where he put a bullet in the head of a cabbie.

The first cipher stumped an alphabet soup of law enforcement agencies, including the C.I.A. and F.B.I., but was cracked by a California schoolteacher and his wife. The decoded cipher opened with an ominous and crudely effective flourish: “I like killing people because it is so much fun it is more fun than killing wild game in the forrest because man is the most dangeroue anamal.” The letters, the misspellings and the lax punctuation kept coming, and perhaps so did the murders, though only five were substantively linked to him. A publicity hound, Zodiac claimed responsibility for murders he might not have committed, a habit that added to a boogeyman mystery and myth that chroniclers of his crimes, including Mr. Graysmith, have exploited.

Mr. Fincher made his name with “Seven,” a thriller in which the grotesquely mutilated bodies of murder victims are nothing more than lovingly designed props. Although more than capable of adding to the exploitation annals, he is up to something profoundly different in this film, which opens with the shooting of two people parked on a lovers’ lane at night, an attack that is soon followed by a squirmingly visceral knife assault on a couple during a daytime idyll. By front-loading the violence, Mr. Fincher instantly makes it clear just what kind of murderer this was — one who liked to get his hands wet — and ensures that the murders don’t become the story’s payoff, our reward for all the time stamps, geographic shifts, narrative complication and frustrated action.

The story structure is as intricate as the storytelling is seamless, with multiple time-and-place interludes neatly slotted into two distinct sections. The first largely concerns the murders and the investigations; the second, far shorter one involves Graysmith’s transformation of the murders and the investigations into a narrative. With its nicotine browns, the first section, which opens in 1969 and continues through the mid-’70s, looks as if it had been art-directed by a roomful of chain smokers. Dark and moody, like all of Mr. Fincher’s work, this part has been drained of almost all bright colors, save for splashes of yellow, the color of safety and caution, and an alarming-looking blue elixir called an Aqua Velva that is Graysmith’s bar drink of choice.

The second, more vibrantly hued section begins with Graysmith sitting in the Chronicle newsroom, its yellow pillars now painted blue. He looks as bright and bushy-tailed as the day he read Zodiac’s first letter, though now he comes equipped with three kids and a wife (an unfortunately familiar scold whom Chloë Sevigny imbues with some welcome wit). But there are demons still loose, inside and out, which is why Graysmith takes on Zodiac alone, warming up the stone-cold case. Domestic tranquillity, it seems, can’t hold a candle to work, to the fanatical pursuit of meaning and self-discovery, to finding out what makes you and the world tick — which is why, while “Zodiac” contains multitudes (genres, jokes, nods at 1970s New Hollywood), it feels like Mr. Fincher’s most personal film to date.

Maybe that’s why it doesn’t have the usual movie-made shrink- rapping and beard-stroking, as in Mommy was a castrating shrew and Daddy used a two-by-four as a paddle. Throughout the film Mr. Fincher and company keep focus on Zodiac’s crimes, on the nuts and bolts of his deeds, rather than on the nurture and nature behind them. There is no normalizing psychology here, and no deep-dish symbolism either, maybe because the title crazy is so peculiarly fond of symbols, which he sprinkles in his missives and, for one murder, wears superhero style on a black-hooded costume that makes him look like a portly ninja in a Z-movie quickie. It’s no wonder the victims don’t see the threat behind the masquerade until it’s too late.

Psychology isn’t Mr. Fincher’s bag; he isn’t interested in what lies and writhes beneath, but what is right there: the visible evidence. And what beautiful evidence it is. His polished technique can leave you slack-jawed, as can his scrupulous attention to detail: the peeling walls of a derelict building in “Fight Club,” the rows of ant-size letters marching across the pages of a composition notebook in “Seven,” the bruises splashed across a woman’s arm in “Zodiac.” There is mystery in this minutiae, not just virtuosity, and maybe, to judge from reports of his painstaking process, a touch of madness. Like his detectives and journalists, Mr. Fincher seems possessed by the need to recreate reality — to revisit the scene of the crime — piece by piece.

There’s a moment early in the film when Mr. Downey stands in the Chronicle newsroom, back arched and rear gently hoisted, affecting a posture that calls to mind Gene Kelly done up as a Toulouse-Lautrec jockey in “An American in Paris.” Avery has already started his long slip-slide into boozy oblivion, abetted by toots of coke, but as he strides around the newsroom, motored by talent and self-regard, he is the guy everybody else wants to be or wants to have. Like Mr. Ruffalo’s detective, who leaves everything bobbing in his rapid wake, Mr. Downey fills the screen with life that, by its very nature, is a rebuke to the death drive embodied by the Zodiac killer. Rarely has a film with so much blood on its hands seemed so insistently alive.

“Zodiac” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It contains extremely graphic gun and knife violence, as well as alcohol abuse and cocaine use.

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by David Fincher; written by James Vanderbilt, based on the books “Zodiac” and “Zodiac Unmasked” by Robert Graysmith; director of photography, Harris Savides; edited by Angus Wall; music by David Shire; production designer, Donald Graham Burt; produced by Mr. Vanderbilt, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Bradley J. Fischer and Cean Chaffin; released by Paramount Pictures. Running time: 158 minutes.

WITH: Jake Gyllenhaal (Robert Graysmith), Mark Ruffalo (Inspector Dave Toschi), Robert Downey Jr. (Paul Avery), Anthony Edwards (Inspector Bill Armstrong), Brian Cox (Melvin Belli), Elias Koteas (Sgt. Jack Mulanax) and Chloë Sevigny (Melanie).

Zodiac (United States, 2007)

Zodiac is a police procedural - a sort of souped-up, ultra-long episode of Law & Order . Based on the 1986 "true crime" book by Robert Graysmith, the movie looks back on one of the nation's most sinister unsolved crimes: the Northern California serial killings by the so-called "Zodiac killer." Although no arrest was ever made and the case now resides on the SFPD's inactive list, many journalists, cops, and investigators had their own "favorite" candidates for the identity of Zodiac. The movie follows the hunt by cartoonist-turned-writer Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he seeks to unmask the villain.

To its credit, Zodiac is faithful to its source material. However, from a stylish director like David Fincher, the straightforward, no-frills approach is a little bit of a letdown. The digital photography is sharp, but there's nothing remarkable about it. There's no sense of the cinematic flair that has marked Fincher's previous efforts (even Alien 3 , for all of its faults, was visually dynamic). One can count on one hand the number of flourishes apparent during the nearly three-hour running time.

During its first hour, Zodiac unfolds along three parallel trajectories. The killer systematically eliminates victims (the crimes are re-enacted based on the survivor testimony contained in Graysmith's book). The police, led by detectives Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) investigate and collect clues. And newspaper people like Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and Graysmith fill the papers with speculation and fact. Then, a little more than a third of the way through the book, the Zodiac killer's spree stops and the movie chronicles Graysmith's obsessive hunt to uncover his identity. He conducts interviews, pours over old files, and eventually comes up with the perfect suspect: Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch), who is damned by circumstantial evidence.

Zodiac does not promise an impartial perspective of the search for the killer. Since it's based on Graysmith's book, it represents the author's viewpoint and the facts are slanted in favor of his preferred suspect. Whether Allen was the Zodiac killer or not is something we'll never know (he died more than a decade ago), but the film stacks the deck in his favor to avoid being completely open ended. Certainly, few who see this film will leave the theater frustrated by the real-world fact that the case remains unsolved.

That Zodiac draws conclusions isn't its problem (to the degree that it has a problem) - the structure is. While the killer is active and the police investigation is in full throttle, there's tension and momentum. It's a cat-and-mouse game. But when the focus shifts to Graysmith, the film shifts into neutral. While there's a certain amount of fascination associated with following an investigator tracking down disintegrating leads and digging through mounds of old records, it's not cinematic, and this at times makes the second half of Zodiac sluggish. Fincher's attempts to create tension (anonymous phone calls with heavy breathing, a creepy film buff who might be dangerous) inject suspense, but the intensity level is low. As thrillers go, most of Zodiac is more of a slow burn than an explosion - not necessarily a bad thing, but it requires patience. The running length is problematic. Fincher is so determined to meticulously recreate Graysmith's investigation that he risks losing his audience. There are numerous dramatically effective sequences during the second half, but the uneven pace results in stagnant periods.

So where is Fincher in all of this? Zodiac has a generic look and feel that is at variance with what we have come to expect from the director. Even Fincher's early music videos had more style than this. That's not to say that the film's direction is inept. Technically, it's fine and there are some nice helicopter shots (and a nifty time lapse sequence of a building being constructed), but there's nothing special about it. It's as if Fincher is saying, "Look! I can do regular stuff too!" There was more menace and atmosphere in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam , another film about a real-life serial killer.

The performances, like Fincher's direction, are competent. Jake Gyllenhaal is understated as usual, but that's appropriate for his low-key character. As Graysmith's obsession grows, Gyllenhaal comes alive. Mark Ruffalo is very good at being petulant but has trouble with sincerity. Robert Downey Jr. once again plays the flamboyant rogue with alcohol/substance abuse problems. Art imitating life, I suppose, but he can do this kind of role in his sleep. Arguably, the best performance belongs to John Carroll Lynch who captures Allen's creepiness without doing anything overt. Brian Cox steals a few scenes as Melvin Belli (he even gets to make a Star Trek reference).

Although the entirety of the movie spans 22 years, from 1969 until 1991, the majority of the scenes transpire in 1969 and the early '70s, and the film is at its most effective during those years. Zodiac becomes fragmented when it starts lurching ahead to highlight the "big moments" in Graysmith's investigation. It's difficult to be too harsh on Zodiac because the subject is interesting (such is often the case with serial killers) and it is fascinating to observe as the investigatory pieces fall into place. Ultimately, however, the length and uneven pacing are stumbling blocks with which an audience must contend. Patient viewers will be rewarded; others may wish for something with less subtlety and more verve.

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Zodiac Ending, Explained

‘ Zodiac ’ was a slow burner experience for me, just as I like my thrillers to be. Amusingly so, the slow burn took its fair share of time till it caught on to me almost as a fever, and that too in the second viewing. In the first viewing, I am forced to admit that I was simply baffled and confused by the lack of a certain resolution; any resolution to be honest, even knowing that the murders remain unsolved till date: such is our force of habit as filmgoers, to at least expect a resolution or conclusion, favourable or not.

Even the glacial pace of the film, partly owing to the in-depth research and procedural and journalistic activity, most of which finds its way to the screen, and to the duration of the Zodiac’s activity stretching over decades altogether. It didn’t occur to me until the second, more contemplative viewing that it was intended to be as such: confusing, baffling, and without any concrete sense of resolution, yet somehow imbuing the feeling that this has all been going on for far too long: to reflect exactly what virtually everyone involved with the case felt.

Following this second viewing, I come out reformed, and in my opinion, ‘ Zodiac ’ is David Fincher’s underrated masterpiece, even despite all the praise it has drawn over the years. I do not throw around the word masterpiece a lot, for fear of bringing down its value or significance, but ‘ Zodiac ’ truly is, perhaps closest in the vein of his other cerebral psychological drama that I loved beyond any sort of admission, ‘ Mindhunter ’.

The film just trails off in its final bits, without a very definitive end or a dramatic narrative pause: you could easily construe its ending as a simple cut in the screenplay if it wasn’t for the end credits that start playing shortly after, and all of that just mirrors the fate of the Zodiac case. It trailed off and faded with no clear resolution. The killer thereby remains unidentified and uncaught till date, and the case, unsolved. For now, let’s delve deeper into that dubious ending and what that meant, the fate of the characters and the Zodiac. Read on.

Instead of going over the whole narrative again, that would simply double up the length of this article, we rewind our clocks to the point in the film towards the end when Robert Graysmith , upon reaching certain conclusions from his own amateur investigation into the case and a little help from inspector Dave Toschi, arrives at the house of Bob Vaughn after being tipped off by Wallace Penny about the zodiac killer being Rick Marshall. He finds that Vaughn and Marshall used to work at The Avenue theatre in San Francisco as projectionists, wherein Marshall occasionally designed and drew posters for the film on display, notable among them being ‘The Most Dangerous Game’, a film whose dialogue “man is the most dangerous animal of all” is used repeatedly by the Zodiac in his letters to the press. Furthermore, Graysmith even receives confirmation that the writing on the posters was the closest match that they had ever received on the handwritings in the Zodiac letters. The plot thickens, and we move onwards to the creepiest scene in the film.

Was Bob Vaughn a suspect? What of Rick Marshall?

To just have an idea of how frustratingly twisted and dead-ended this case was, you have to watch how this one scene plays out, following Bob Vaughn taking Graysmith to his house to talk about Rick Marshall. The two discuss about Rick Marshall, his tenure at the Avenue theatre, the poster under question and “Rick’s Handwriting”, and how he left a film canister at Vaughn’s place and asked him never to open it. At this conjuncture, it is revealed that the posters were never actually drawn by

Marshall, and that Vaugh was the one who drew them, giving Graysmith the shock of his life considering the fact that he may actually have been standing face to face with the Zodiac killer right there and then. The suspicion is furthered by the fact that Vaughn proceeds into his basement to check theatre records, that checks out with the Zodiac having mentioned a basement in one of his letters, narrowing downs since not many people had basements in California.

Now as voiced by one of the characters in the film, and quite frustratingly correctly, the Zodiac case was all about two things: the matching of the fingerprints with the ones left on the site of the cab driver’s murder, and the matching of the handwriting with the one received in the letters. Now since neither is a concrete foundation to begin with, there were close to 2500 suspects that were ruled out on their basis, including Marshall. Vaugh here clearly classifies on atleast one of them since his handwriting was the closest that ever came to a match, but he wasn’t suspected! On the other hand, interestingly enough, eventhough Marshall was a prime suspect, he doesn’t have a face in the film, and never appears on screen. Fincher instead allows Bob Vaughn to lead a terrifyingly suspenseful scene, the one in his basement to completely throw the audience off track, just as simply as Graysmith is.

My interpretation is that Vaughn could or could not have been one of the suspects, since nothing about this case can be stated definitively, but the entire sequence plays out the way it did because of Graysmith’s paranoia. He was so deep into the investigation and so desperate for a last straw for a clue, that a hint that he may have been thinking in the wrong direction completely throws him off and gets the best of him, so much so that he frantically exits the apartment. To be fair though, Vaughn did act eerily creepy at this point in the film, as if he knew that his cover had been blown, and he was drawing some sort of pleasure from psychologically tormenting Graysmith. However, if you drown out the intensely creepy score behind that just amplifies Graysmith’s paranoia to engulf you as well, you will see what I mean.

Was Arthur Leigh Allen the Zodiac?

The movie leaves little room for doubt, even in its supposed open ended finale in framing Arthur Leigh Allen as the prime suspect and possibly the Zodiac too. Now we must tread with caution here, since this is a movie website and not a crime reporting one. We will thus try to keep the nature of our explanation centred on the movie version of it, irrespective of whether it happened in real life or not, eventhough the film has been claimed as been unanimously hailed for its authenticity.

Now, following fleeing Bob Vaughn’s house in terror, Graysmith further investigates and meets up with Linda, the sister of the first confirmed Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin, where she confirms that Leigh knew Darlene beforehand, furthering his suspicion, knowing the fact that someone called Darlene’s family in the middle of the night after killing her, breathing heavily on the phone. Further to this, Graysmith is able to confirm for himself and Dave Toschi that Allen might be the killer after he digs up records and finds Allen’s date of birth to be 18 th of December, the same day Melvin Belli received a call at his place presumably by the zodiac killer, who claimed he wanted to kill since it was his birthday.

The two renewed evidences, added with the already incriminating evidence that Toschi found against him, including him wearing a Zodiac watch, the same Wind Walker boots worn by the Zodiac at the murder near Lake Berryessa, him mentioning the book ‘The Most Dangerous Game’, and revealing that he had bloody knives on his car seat to kill chickens that he ate, without being asked at all, nearly confirm his involvement with the murders.

However, despite the evidence that was substantial, there was no physical evidence that the police could pin him with, including no fingerprint or handwriting matches, eventhough the zodiac is widely considered to be ambidextrous, that led to the police not being able to make the arrest. However, that does not stop Graysmith from tracing him to the Ace Hardware Store in Vallejo, where he confronts him non-verbally, which I explain in the next section.

The film then ends with Mike Mageau, the survivor of the Zodiac’s first confirmed attack positively identifying Allen from police mugshots as the man who shot him, 22 years after the attack on his life. While the film doesn’t expressly state him as the Zodiac, this last piece of evidence is quite incriminating, shooting him straight up in the list of suspects. However, Arthur Leigh Allen was never arrested due to lack of physical evidence and all the other evidence being merely circumstantial. He died before the case was closed and a committee was to move on him following Mageau’s statement.

The Ace Hardware Store Confrontation in Vallejo

Probably one of my favourite scenes from the entire film, although it is currently not known whether this happened in actuality or not. Regardless, this is an impactful scene, very carefully acted out by the two actors involved, not a single facial note out of place. The scene conspires as such: Graysmith tracks Leigh Allen to a hardware store in Vallejo and pays him a visit. The time is revealed to be an unspecified day in February 1980 . As Robert walks up to Allen, the latter asks him if there was anything he could do to help him.

At the point, Robert bluntly refuses and stares him dead in the eye. The formal smile on Allen’s face fades, giving way to resentment and, might I say, a tiny, tiny hint of fear. The two men continue exchanging looks for the next couple of moments after which Robert leaves the place and the screen cuts to black. Now there are two ways this pans out, depending on whether YOU believe Leigh Allen to be the Zodiac or not. If you don’t, this scene is strictly nothing more than an awkward confrontation, with more of Robert’s paranoia and the other party completely unaware of what the hell was going on. On the other hand, if you do believe him to the killer, things become diametrically interesting. I will allow a dialogue from earlier on in the film to communicate what that was about, mouthed by Robert himself when asked about his obsessive compulsive need to hunt and find the Zodiac.

“I need to know who he is. I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it’s him.”

Well, this was it! In his head, Leigh Allen was already the killer, and in one glance, he communicates to Allen that he knew, thus explaining the tiny bit of fear and complete change in expression you see over Allen’s face. At this point in time, Graysmith doesn’t rely on the judiciary or the police for a verdict. He feels he has figured it out based on the intensive research he conducted himself, and this moment is his moment of victory, albeit one that could only bring him the inert satisfaction that he would need to get on with his life and complete his book, as strongly suggested by his wife. It is to be noted that the bit about Allen’s reaction growing a little pale stands true only if Allen was actually the Zodiac. This would also make sense since the Zodiac, if the real one at all, knew Graysmith. Remember the heavy breathing calls at his residence?

Were there two Killers?

Due to the abnormally large period of time over which the case spread and the shocking lack of any evidence, or rather the confusing presence of one too many pointing in all directions, the theory that there might have been two Zodiacs hasn’t been ruled out completely. Now, whether the two were linked or not is a separate series of speculations I’d rather not get into. There is also the possibility that the Zodiac killer wrote only the initial series of letters to the press, and the rest were taken up by somebody else to continue to create a media frenzy.

A completely different possibility that hasn’t been ruled out either is that since no fixed M.O. for the Zodiac could be ascertained, any number of unsolved murder crimes could be attributed to the Zodiac, indicating the possibility of copycat crimes. For instance, as of now, only seven attacks out of which five were fatal have been confirmed Zodiac attacks as stated by the cipher letters and the police. However, the continued series of letters and communications from the Zodiac claimed to have killed more than 37 people, something that hasn’t been confirmed till date. The same is even indicated by Robert Grayson when he is in the deep of the case, “Gotta be two killers, one has the map, the other kills” contemplating on the lack of evidence at even the crime scenes.

Need more insights on how the Zodiac murders were among the most baffling unsolved cases in US criminal history ? There are separate webpages and blogs dedicated to finding the Zodiac killer that are fairly active even today. Unbelievable, I know, but an easy search on the internet will be able to yield them.

The aftermath of this series of incidents is clearly stated in the closing credit cards that follow. As for the three main characters, it is told that Paul Avery died of pulmonary emphysema following his period of withdrawal from the press and substance indulgence after the Zodiac made a threat on his life. David Toschi retired in ’89 following his years of service and was given a clean chit with respect to his involvement in writing one of the Zodiac letters.

Robert Graysmith completed his book that turned out to be a bestseller and reconciled with his family. As for the most notable prime suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, it is stated that he died of cardiac arrest right before a committee decided to close in on him for arrest following Mageau’s identification of him as the shooter. The case was then declared inactive by the SFPD due to lack of concrete physical evidence against the now deceased Allen or any of the other suspects. Interestingly though, the case still remains open in Solano, Napa and Vallejo, more than five decades since the first confirmed Zodiac attack occurred.

Admittedly, ‘Zodiac’ in itself is more of a crime procedural rather than a psychological insight, properly and carefully documenting two major sides of the case, the police investigation and the involvement of the press, along with giving us a glimpse into the horrific murders. Most of what is presented is based off of true events, with a slight dramatization and artistic liberty, and showed in a very matter of fact manner, little is left to the imagination, well except who the killer is: which is for me an essential part of the viewing experience of Zodiac . It is confusing, it is frustrating in parts, and may just prove to be a hair puller for people who like their endings to be concise and definitive. For those that can take a little bit of uncertainty will surely agree with me when I say that ‘Zodiac’ is straight up there with ‘ Se7en ’ and ‘ Fight Club ’ as one of his best works. While I have lauded those movies for their script and impact, I didn’t call them masterpieces. This one surely is. Unpopular opinion? Sure, but it’s one that has been concretised over multiple viewings. I suggest you do the same!

Read More in Explainers: Prisoners | Se7en | Fight Club

Zodiac (2007)

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Common sense media reviewers.

Notorious case inspires dark, sinuous thriller.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Serial killer is cruel and plainly deranged; cops

Extremely bloody crime scenes; violence includes s

Suggestion of sexual desire as first victims &quot

Repeated profanity, especially "f--k," a

Some references by name (Folgers, the movie Bullit

Drinking to drunkenness in bars (Paul and Robert f

Positive Messages

Serial killer is cruel and plainly deranged; cops and reporters argue amongst themselves and become obsessed with the case to the point of ruining their home lives. Paul gives his editor the finger.

Violence & Scariness

Extremely bloody crime scenes; violence includes shooting, stabbing (especially brutal), fighting; much discussion of means of murder, ammunition, and gun types; letters from killer describe plans to kill children on school buses (a boy hears this on TV and looks worried); mention of gas chamber; woman in prison appears with dark bruises on her arm; scary scene in basement when Robert thinks he's met the killer by accident (jump shot, dark shadows, tense music); discussion of a suspect's deviant history ("touching kids").

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Suggestion of sexual desire as first victims "park" (they're shot before they even kiss); Paul reports that the killer is a "latent homosexual."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Repeated profanity, especially "f--k," as well as "s--t," "hell," "goddamn it," and other colorful language ("Sweet mother of Christ," "Jesus on crutches," "Tell him to screw," "crap," "getting your rocks off with a girl") and name-calling ("shorty" and "retard").

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Products & Purchases

Some references by name (Folgers, the movie Bullitt ), plus background imagery (Coca-Cola and Campbell's soup in vending machines, Slinky on TV); Dirty Harry on movie screen.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking to drunkenness in bars (Paul and Robert favor blue drinks called "Aqua Velvas"); more drinking at Belli's Christmas party (he offers a "toddy"); frequent cigarette smoking; Paul looks high/wasted at work -- he snorts cocaine and keeps a full bar and other drugs in his home.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this three-hour movie about the investigation into a string of real-life serial murders during the early 1970s is too violent and disturbing for most teens (and probably even some adults). While some violence takes place off screen, what does appear is brutal and bloody: The Zodiac shoots a couple in their car, stabs another couple in the back (the victims' pained, horrified faces are shown both times), and shoots a cabbie. Police officers and reporters discuss the deaths in some detail. Characters drink heavily and smoke frequently (one also uses hard drugs). References are made to the killer's "latent homosexuality" and a suspect's pedophilia. Language includes repeated uses of "f--k." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (20)
Kids say (29)

Based on 20 parent reviews

What's the Story?

An intelligent, sinuous mystery, ZODIAC is less interested in sensational violence than in the ways that the media affects such violence. Based on the notorious, still-unsolved early-1970s Zodiac murders in the San Francisco area, the movie focuses first on efforts to figure out the murderer's motives and then on the ways that the Zodiac "imagined" himself into public consciousness by writing letters to the San Francisco Chronicle and leaving clues to taunt the police. The film begins with a murder -- the first one for which the killer took public credit. After the shooting, Zodiac calls the police and sends a letter to the Chronicle , demonstrating -- in his mind, anyway -- that he's smarter than all of them. As he uses the media to "make himself up," the movie considers the effects of the case on those who pursue him, including Inspector David Toschi ( Mark Ruffalo ) and his partner, Inspector William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards); as well as earnest cartoonist Robert Graysmith ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) and brilliantly self-destructive crime reporter Paul Avery ( Robert Downey Jr. ). They run into problems at every turn, from law enforcement officials in different jurisdictions who don't want to work together to handwriting experts, fingerprinters, and even celebrity lawyer Melvin Belli ( Brian Cox ). With egos getting in the way, only rudimentary technologies to work with, and legal impediments, no one cracks the case, and everyone loses themselves to it.

Is It Any Good?

David Fincher 's excellent movie includes several violent murder scenes (a stabbing is especially grisly). But it's more interested in the consequences of the brutality: crime scenes, investigative procedures, fear in the community. In a mess of intersecting obsessions and deceptions, Zodiac finds remarkable coherence, tracing the similar needs, means, and fictions that structure truth.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the media's relationship with serial killers. How do the killers use the media to gain attention? How do the media use the killers to gain ratings? How do viewers and readers respond to such coverage? Think about how movies portray killers and their pursuers: Unlike The Silence of the Lambs , this movie focuses on the investigation, with very little information about the killer. How does that affect the film's narrative and displays of violence? Is violence more effective when it's shown, or when it's implied? Why?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 1, 2007
On DVD or streaming : July 24, 2007
Cast : Chloe Sevigny , Jake Gyllenhaal , Mark Ruffalo
Director : David Fincher
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Thriller
Run time : 165 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : some strong killings, language, drug material and brief sexual images.
Last updated : September 8, 2023

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Godzilla and Kong pose dramatically in the sunlight in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

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I’m going to level with you: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire might be the stupidest movie I’ve ever seen. Not the worst movie (that would be Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 ), but very possibly the most absurd. I’m ashamed to tell my mother I saw it, for fear of a lecture about how she did not raise a dummy, and did not break her back putting me through school so I could sit through the giant-monkey-and-lizard movie, for money. But unfortunately for her (love you, Mom) she did put me through school to watch the giant-monkey-and-lizard movie, for money. So I did watch the stupid thing. And you know what? I’d do it again.

Godzilla x Kong (yes, it’s styled like that, like a streetwear collab) is beyond “good” or “bad” or “movies.” It’s an arena show, a pro wrestler shouting in the squared circle, thumping their chest and raising the jumbotron hype meter before doing their signature move. Through brutally efficient pacing that minimizes what the script doesn’t care about (people, mostly) and maximizes what it does (giant monsters doing wrestling moves), it constantly eschews connection in favor of escalation. It’s an achievement in absurd spectacle, a comically silly way to spend $135 million. I hope Warner Bros. keeps burning money this way.

This is the fifth movie in the MonsterVerse franchise , but The New Empire gets viewers up to speed immediately. The world has gotten weird since the events of 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong . The Earth? She’s hollow, hiding an entire ecosystem of massive monsters. King Kong lives there now, and he’s lonely, longing for the company of other giant apes. Godzilla has become something of a roving protector of the planet, roaming the surface to destructively take on other, more destructive monsters (dubbed “Titans”), then pausing for naps in the Colosseum.

Godzilla still can’t stand Kong, but with Kong inside the Hollow Earth and Godzilla ruling its surface, a strange sort of balance is reached.

Kong bellows with his axe in a lava cavern of some kind in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

So Godzilla x Kong uses incredibly contrived means to throw that balance into peril, bouncing between three parallel narrative tracks. (Calling them “stories” feels like a stretch.)

Something has Godzilla in a strange mood, causing him to travel the globe in search of massive amounts of radiation to power him up.
Kong, in Hollow Earth, searches for apes like him and finds a hidden enclave under the iron grip of another ape called Skar, who has designs on escaping to dominate the surface world.
A small band of humans led by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) launches an expedition into Hollow Earth to find the source of psychic visions from Jia (Kaylee Hottle), Andrews’ adopted daughter and Kong’s only human friend.

Spending much more time on The New Empire ’s plot feels farcical, as the script, credited to Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater, really does not dwell on any of these beats. The narrative is functional, and barely so, with characters blurting exposition and suddenly finding whatever inspiration is necessary for the next plot beat. The monsters are the point here, and director Adam Wingard really takes his time with them. Particularly Kong — the only character in the movie who has a real, honest-to-Ghidorah arc.

Kong gets to have so many experiences in this film. He has his first dental procedure, courtesy of an absolutely loony Dan Stevens as a Titan vet named Trapper. He befriends a tiny (for him) ape with an attitude. He finds community; he patches things up with a former nemesis. It’s quite touching, really, though it’s all very loud.

Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, and Kaylee Hottle walk through a smokey corridor, very cool, in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

After the bombastic yet pretty traditional Godzilla vs. Kong , Wingard’s sequel really feels like he’s letting its hair down, dropping any and all pretense that his movies are coming from the same place as Gareth Edwards’ more grounded, awestruck 2014 Godzilla . In some ways, this is clarifying. Instead of occupying the wobbly middle ground between disaster epic and environmental fable, like previous films in this series, Wingard’s new approach is simple. With The New Empire , he asks: Do you, on a deep spiritual level, need to see Godzilla suplex King Kong?

At this juncture, Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse has become the anti-cinematic universe: It isn’t building to anything, it’s just kinda screwing around. Sure, there is an accumulation of lore and characters, a roughly traceable history of this alternate Earth where monsters exist among us, but it’s all trivia, and beside the point.

Perhaps there was a moment early on when the franchise producers were attempting to cobble together a grand narrative. But with Wingard’s twin team-up movies, the franchise is now something more like improv, a yes - and take on kaiju battles. Yes, Godzilla and Kong exist in the same world, and the Earth is hollow and full of monsters, and there’s an ancient threat and indigenous people down there, and Godzilla and Kong will put aside their differences to combat it.

Godzilla and Kong, buddies now, race towards an unseen threat in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Part of what makes The New Empire ’s foolish bombast so palatable, even desirable, is that Wingard and his many collaborators — especially the massive number of digital artists whose work comprises the bulk of the film — have made this film during a Godzilla boom. It’s easier to accept its WrestleMania-style antics when the gripping drama of Godzilla Minus One is still in the rearview, and Apple TV Plus’ Monarch: Legacy of Monsters can shore up the human side of things that the MonsterVerse movies are wholly uninterested in.

Whether by design or by accident, The New Empire has taken on the tonal whiplash and inventive glee that the original Japanese Godzilla films became known for. Godzilla x Kong is a true successor to the late-Showa era of Toho’s classic films, a big silly throwdown that subs out rubber suits in favor of Hollywood pixels, upping the scale considerably. (Unfortunately, this sacrifices visual clarity and style — The New Empire ’s creatures do incredible things, but unlike in Godzilla vs. Kong , they are not presented in memorable ways.) Wingard’s weakest points come when he hews to blockbuster convention — but those moments are also the funniest ones.

It is deeply amusing, seeing these giant animated nonverbal monsters bellowing through the major plot beats of many big franchise blockbusters. It says something, I think, about how silly they are, how empty of meaning. And how, maybe, the only way they can be any good is if they abandon all pretense at storytelling, and just play to the stands.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens in theaters on March 29.

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The Fantastic Four Casts Its Silver Surfer and Potentially Confirms a Fan Theory in the Process - Report

Julia garner will reportedly play a version of the iconic comic book villain in the upcoming mcu film..

The Fantastic Four has reportedly cast its Silver Surfer, potentially confirming a persistent fan theory in the process. In a report by Deadline that can be corroborated by IGN's own sources, the upcoming MCU reboot directed by Matt Shakman has chosen Julia Garner for the role of the classic villain, seemingly lending weight to the growing belief among some fans that the new movie is set in an alternate version of the MCU.

Garner, best-known for her Emmy-winning turn as Ruth in Ozark, will reportedly play Shalla-Bal, who was first introduced as Norrin Radd's lover in Silver Surfer #1. However, the Deadline report notes that she is playing an alternate version of the Silver Surfer, suggesting that this is the version from Earth-X — one of Marvel's most notable alternate realities.

While Fantastic Four plot details remain under wraps for now, the casting rumor suggests that Garner will play a version of Shalla-Bal who serves as a Herald of Galactus alongside the Silver Surfer, centering Marvel's alternate reality over its traditional continuity.

Garner joins a cast featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as Marvel's most famous family. Fans have speculated that the movie takes place in a version of the 1960s based on an early promo image in which The Thing is reading a famous issue of Life magazine .

Marvel is seeking to reboot the The Fantastic Four, which returned to Marvel's movie portfolio after Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. A previous film, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , told a more traditional Silver Surfer story than the one that Marvel seems to have in the works. At the time we called it far superior to the first film , though neither are particularly well-remembered by fans.

We'll see how Marvel's take on the series when it releases on July 25, 2025. In the meantime, check out our complete list of every upcoming Marvel movie and TV project for 2024 .

Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

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Andrew Scott Is Utterly Charmless in Netflix’s Somber ‘Ripley’: TV Review

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Ripley. Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley in Ripley Cr. Netflix © 2023

Shot in magnificent black and white, “Ripley” opens in Rome in 1961 as a man drags a dead body down a marble staircase. But the story doesn’t begin here. Dialing back in time six months, we find ourselves on New York’s Lower East Side. A far cry from the trendy neighborhood seen in films and TV shows today, the area is home to some of the Big Apple’s most unsavory citizens.

Here, in a cramped, rat-infested apartment, the audience is introduced to Ripley, a petty thief who makes his living tricking patients of chiropractors out of their money. Just as his latest scheme is drying up, he stumbles on the opportunity that will reshape his life forever. At a bar one evening, he’s approached by a private investigator (a criminally underused Bokeem Woodbine), who mistakes Tom for a friend of his wealthy client’s son. Shortly after, Tom is on a ship to Italy tasked with enticing his “friend” Dickie Greenleaf ( Johnny Flynn ) to return home to his concerned parents. Seeing his all-expense-paid trip to Europe and the Greenleafs’ wealth as the chance to grasp the lifestyle he believes he deserves, Tom sets off on a dark path marred by lies, deceit and murder.

While Dickie, a novice and untalented painter, receives Tom warmly, his girlfriend, Marge ( Dakota Fanning ), is immediately suspicious of her beau’s supposed acquaintance. Her instincts are correct: By the end of Chapter I, “A Hard Man to Find,” Tom begins formulating his plans to take Dickie’s lavish life for himself. What’s hard to reconcile is that Tom is utterly charmless. He’s a quick thinker who can meticulously plot his way out of dark corners but Tom’s sociopathic personality and inability to show even a sliver of humanity make “Ripley” an uncomfortable, somber watch.

Still, the show is a stunning cinematic display, boasting lingering shots of Italy’s monuments, canals and architecture. But the episodes are painfully overlong and full of dead space. Since Tom spends a great deal of time alone, plotting his next moves or cleaning up his various bloody messes, viewers are forced to bide their time with him as he completes the laborious tasks (typing false documents, cleaning up evidence).

Additionally, though Tom is a narcissist with limited people skills, Dickie and Marge aren’t much better. Whether or not the viewer roots for Tom’s lies and schemes, the show’s central couple has very little depth. Dickie is aloof and naive, a trust-fund baby who’s had the world handed to him. While he certainly doesn’t deserve to be one of Tom’s victims, his lack of astuteness makes him easy, pitiful prey. Meanwhile, despite seeing through Tom’s facade, Marge allows her discernment to be bulldozed by a perceived rejection from Dickie; her ensuing character arc is a total letdown.

“Ripley” stumbles in part because Tom is void of seduction and likability. The series has none of the homoeroticism of Minghella’s film, which is disappointing because Scott’s sensuality has radiated off the screen in other roles. In addition to her first “Ripley” novel, Highsmith wrote four sequels showcasing the con artist scheming his way through France and Germany. As an older, more seasoned Tom, Scott’s take on the swindler might have been better aligned in one of those stories. Also, given Tom’s hate-laced mentions of the aunt who raised him, flashbacks from his childhood might have made for a more robust narrative, lending the character much-needed dimension.

Ultimately, “Ripley” fails to offer a new or intriguing perspective on the infamous scammer. Previous projects have presented a more inviting experience in which the audience becomes enamored of Tom’s treacherous designs. Here, over eight tepid episodes, he never undergoes any fundamental transformation. From the beginning, he is just a grating grifter who lacks finesse.

“Ripley” premieres April 4 on Netflix .

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COMMENTS

Zodiac (2007): A discussion. : r/movies
MagicClutch. ADMIN MOD. Zodiac (2007): A discussion. When people ask me what my favourite movie is I usually default to Zodiac. I don't think it's "the best" but it is my favourite. The acting, the music, the look and feel. I think it's criminally under appreciated.
Zodiac (2007) Discussion : r/movies
Zodiac, the book by Robert Graysmith, is a very biased work of nonfiction that bends facts in order to make Arthur Leigh Allen look guilty. I read it when I was younger and found it quite convincing, but I reread it right before I covered the Zodiac on my true crime podcast (apologies for the shameless plug) and found it to be quite ...
What are thoughts on the Zodiac (2007) : r/movies
One of the most prominent themes in crime cinema is that of a protagonist who is obsessed with unraveling a mystery or destroying/deconstructing a dream like 'primal scene'. Zodiac is one of my favorite examples of the theme of obsession, and possibly the best film since Vertigo dive in to this theme so enthusiastically.
David Fincher's Zodiac (2007) is packed with content. : r/TrueFilm
Zodiac was terrific film. In my opinion, to enjoy a David Fincher film properly, you have to be alert at all times. He treats the audience with respect & expects them to be thoroughly engaged. Fight Club, Se7en, Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo & Social Network are all examples of this. Zodiac joins the list & is probably the best ...
Zodiac
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets
Zodiac
Movie Info. In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards) and reporters ...
Zodiac movie review & film summary (2007)
'Zodiac" is the "All the President's Men" of serial killer movies, with Woodward and Bernstein played by a cop and a cartoonist. It's not merely "based" on California's infamous Zodiac killings, but seems to exude the very stench and provocation of the case. The killer, who was never caught, generously supplied so many clues that Sherlock Holmes might have cracked the case in his sitting room ...
Zodiac Movie Review: David Fincher's Decade-Defining Masterpiece from
Zodiac not only serves as a masterclass in procedural crime thrillers but also holds its ground among other classics in the genre. It seamlessly fits into the realm of films like Memories of Murder, Silence of the Lambs, and even Fincher's own later works like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.The film's enduring relevance is a testament to its status as a certified classic and a landmark of ...
Zodiac Review: The Films of David Fincher
The Game. Fight Club. Panic Room. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The Social Network. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. House of Cards and the Director's Future. Read Matt's Zodiac review ...
The Ending Of Zodiac Explained
David Fincher's " Zodiac " is a gripping mystery-thriller about a real life serial killer who stalked the Bay Area in the 1960s and '70s. It follows detectives, reporters, and one obsessive ...
Zodiac review
T he look and the feel and the bulk of David Fincher's new movie are so seductive. He has made a massively confident and watchable thriller about the unsolved "Zodiac" murders in 1960s San ...
Review: Zodiac
March 1, 2007. Photo: Paramount Pictures. With Zodiac, David Fincher returns to the scene of his first cinematic triumph: the serial killer genre. Unlike his self-consciously stylish, surprise twist-punctuated Se7en, however, the director's latest is played for exacting realism, with a conclusion that any true-crime buff will know from the ...
‎Zodiac (2007) directed by David Fincher • Reviews, film + cast
Synopsis. There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer. The true story of the investigation of the "Zodiac Killer", a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area, taunting police with his ciphers and letters. The case becomes an obsession for three men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless ...
David Fincher's Zodiac Is the Most Accurate Film Based on True Events
April 2, 2018 1:28 pm. "Zodiac". Paramount. The true crime story is one of the most enduring genres in film, but few entries are as specific in their attention to detail as David Fincher 's ...
Zodiac
Directed by David Fincher. Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller. R. 2h 37m. By Manohla Dargis. March 2, 2007. David Fincher's magnificently obsessive new film, "Zodiac," tracks the story ...
Zodiac
A movie review by James Berardinelli. Zodiac is a police procedural - a sort of souped-up, ultra-long episode of Law & Order. Based on the 1986 "true crime" book by Robert Graysmith, the movie looks back on one of the nation's most sinister unsolved crimes: the Northern California serial killings by the so-called "Zodiac killer."
Zodiac Ending, Explained: Was Arthur Leigh Allen the Real Zodiac?
While the film doesn't expressly state him as the Zodiac, this last piece of evidence is quite incriminating, shooting him straight up in the list of suspects. However, Arthur Leigh Allen was never arrested due to lack of physical evidence and all the other evidence being merely circumstantial. He died before the case was closed and a ...
Zodiac (2007)
Zodiac (2007) - Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. ... Metacritic reviews. Zodiac. 79. Metascore. 40 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. 100. Village Voice.
Zodiac (2007)
10/10. The Stranger Urban Americans Fear: A Killer Playing the Most Dangerous Game. classicalsteve 3 April 2007. The era in which Zodiac takes place bridges two eras in urban America. The Zodiac appeared on the tail end of a crime-spree that rampaged across the US in the late 1960's.
Zodiac Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 20 ): Kids say ( 29 ): David Fincher 's excellent movie includes several violent murder scenes (a stabbing is especially grisly). But it's more interested in the consequences of the brutality: crime scenes, investigative procedures, fear in the community. In a mess of intersecting obsessions and deceptions, Zodiac ...
Dagr (Dagger)
The story is mid. It's really by-the-book FF fare, except for the two stories happening. The ending is OK, not terrible, not great. Just predictable. If you want a good found footage movie tonight and have the extra three bucks to spare, I would say to give it a watch. I give it a solid 7 out of 10. 9.
Godzilla x Kong isn't a movie, it's a pro wrestling match
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the sequel to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, goes bigger, louder, and stupider. The results are delirious fun. In theaters March 29.
The Fantastic Four Casts Its Silver Surfer and Potentially ...
Marvel's The Fantastic Four has reportedly cast Julian Garner as Silver Surfer, seemingly lending credence to the growing believe among fans that the upcoming film is set in an alternate version ...
Dev Patel Says Monkey Man Filming Was a Catastrophe, Funding ...
During a Reddit AMA ahead of the film's April theatrical release, Patel told fans that directing, acting in and producing "Monkey Man" was "the most demanding thing I've ever done in my ...
'Ripley' TV Review: Netflix Series Doesn't Live Up To Novels
Twisted and deeply disturbing, this "Ripley" feels more sinister and stilted than its predecessors, making the show arduous rather than enticing. Shot in magnificent black and white, "Ripley ...

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