Director David Fincher has made some amazing films and ZODIAC is one of his best. Filled with history, facts, great acting by an excellent cast and enough smart dialogue for three movies, Zodiac delivers.
Opening in 1969 and following in great detail the emergence of the Zodiac Killer, the film focuses on three key figures tracking the killer.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Robert Graysmith, cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, drawn into the case by his innate abilities with cyphers, which the killer loves sending to the paper, post-kill.
Several desks but a world away is Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, played by Robert Downey Jr in a haze of booze, cigarettes, cocaine and aggressive reporting.
San Francisco Inspector David Toschi rounds out the trio of true-life characters, well played by Mark Ruffalo.
These three serve as our window into the years-long investigation and mystery around the killer. We share their excitement and suspense as new leads drive them to possibly solving the case.
The period details, from sets and music to newscasts are flawless and immerse you in that world. The killings are graphic and the suspects are many.
Fincher makes this film feel FAST, even though its packed with plot details and runs over two and a half hours.
If some found the conclusion unsatisfying, I found it credible, and how else to tell the true story but to share it as it happened. Reality is rarely predictable.
What you can count on is a great cast at the top of its game down to the last player, a strong director in top form and a thriller of a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Zodiac kills. A+
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