Zodiac vs. Se7en

19 comments

19 comments

maybe lot of you pick se7en over zodiac,but i adore zodiac more,i think it has more depth and greater cinematography

Whoa! Two great Fincher Movies - both with great memorable scenes. But if I had to pick one it'd be Seven just by a hair because I remember Zodiac being a few minutes too long.

This is easily the hardest matchup for me. These are my top two, and I don't know if I can really choose.

Definitely Fincher's two best films.

Tough one for sure. But I'll still take Se7en; that finale is fantastic

As another commenter has said, these are Fincher's 2 best (so far). I honestly think Zodiac is his masterpiece which is why it gets my vote. Seven is his amazing breakout film that thankfully he's followed up on.

Seven wins, because of Morgan Freeman, the third act, and the slightly more iconic nature of the premise. This was a tough one, though. Fincher's too good.

These two movies seem like they'd cause the same reaction in someone and it would be hard to judge but I really liked Zodiac and thought Se7en was incredibly boring, so this isn't that hard of a choice

I'll go with Seven...in just a ridiculously tough decision...

Zodiac is really underrated , but Se7en still one of the greatest Fincher pieces.

Two of the best serial killer movies ever made. Suck it Silence. Going with Se7en.

Zodiac was good and I need to rewatch it. For now, I'm going with Se7en

Se7en is better than Zodiac in every way shape or form

Zodiac is more thrilling and interesting. Zodiac win

Awesome! Fincher seriously owns the thriller genre and I'm of the opinion that Zodiac and Se7en are the pinnacle of everything serial killer flicks have got to offer. I feel like writing more about these brilliant films. Let's start with the pros, shall we? There's no denying Fincher's outstanding directorial work in both films. If Zodiac showcases Fincher at his patient, meticulous best, in Se7en he toys with the audience's psychology to create a hell-like world that's probably the most atmospheric environment ever designed since Ridley Scott's Alien. Neither of the two glorifies the serial killer, unlike TSotL, and that's commendable. But as awesome Zodiac is, it's simply not on the same planet as Se7en. The true stars of Se7en are the characters. Somerset and Mills start out as your cliched buddy-cop pair but it's the philosophy the screenplay provides them with that makes them stand out from the clutter. The moral depth of the characters and the film's overall persistence turns a gimmicky cop thriller into a work of spiritual horror, and so revisiting it always feels like a powerful and meaningful experience if not necessarily a pleasurable one. In John Doe, Spacey portrayed a monster so deranged and yet so in control. Zodiac is a stunning film as well. The attention to detail is phenomenal and almost nothing is overlooked or compromised for. It's a fully faithful adaptation of Bob Graysmith's book. As we see the years passing by, we can also observe those subtle changes in trends, mannerisms, and even something as small as a hairdo or the layout of a phone-booth. As some snobs would say, there's no room for cheap twists and it's as well-researched a film can possibly be. The writers stress on the procedure and the general feeling of anxiety in San Francisco when the killer was operating at its peak. But the thing about Zodiac is this: its greatest strength is also its biggest weakness (at least for me). Zodiac employs a cold, methodical style and explores everything about the events in a very professional manner, but that detaches you from the characters. The driving force of the film isn't the characters or even the Zodiac killer but the investigation of the case itself. The characters enter and leave the frame as per their relevance to the case. The focus keeps interchanging between Graysmith, Toschi, Paul Avery, and the suspects. That's fine to a degree but it makes examining the characters and dissecting their motivations a futile exercise. You're not invested in the characters and so the second half seems to drag. Not much is indicated as to why Graysmith continues to spend time on the case in spite of the dangers surrounding it. We are told he loves solving puzzles but for a family man with major responsibilities, the reason sounds a tad lame and insufficient. Se7en moves in the right direction in that regard as the motivations of the characters are better specified as well as defined. Also, as shocking Se7en's ending is, it's probably easier to swallow than Zodiac's. The reason being: Zodiac offers no resolution whatsoever. The pay-off is zero as the killer's identity is never discovered (I know that's the way it was in real life). But I can understand if someone doesn't necessarily see the things I pointed out as flaws but merely a matter of preference. So, yeah, go Se7en!

Both Fincher classics, but Zodiac is a lesser film compared to Se7en. A bit like what Casino was compared to Goodfellas.

Se7en is my favorite David Fincher film. It's amazing. Zodiac and Fight Club are tied for the second place, but I probably like Zodiac a little more. But yeah, no contest on this one, although I do love both.

Two of Fincher's serial killer masterpieces. Both are top notch at what they set out to do but I must go with Se7en.

Creepy but Zodiac is the better film.

As amazing as Zodiac is it can't top the sheer brilliance of Se7en.

Zodiac is Fincher's masterpiece.

Se7en. It really isn't a contest.

Zodiac? More thrilling? Don't get me wrong...I love Zodiac and think it's a great film...but Zodiac can't be more thrilling than Se7en. Se7en wins.

Se7en is probably Fincher's best, so it quite easily wins. Although Zodiac is a damn good mystery thriller as well.

I love Zodiac its intense and very interesting but Seven is a great Detective film a scary as hell film with the best setting and lighting the acting is great as well easy Seven is a modern classic.

2 great crime thrillers by the great old David Fincher It's really hard to say which is better but I think I'm going to have to say Se7en on this one but Zodiac is still a great film but it's one of those movies that I can't watch a lot so it's going to have to be Se7en.

Love both, but Zodiac, man.

I love both so much... I would have said Zodiac two days ago but I just rewatched Se7en and I think I like it more than Zodiac... Extremely close though.

Fincher's best films, Zodiac wins in a close one.

like the person above me said. fincher's best films, zodiac wins.

se7en is incredible, but it can't hold up to zodiac in my eyes

Zodiac is really good. The cast is incredible, the filmmaking is great and I also found it very gripping. My only flaw is the pacing. It’s a weird film because I found it both too long and too short. Too long because I thought a bit could’ve been cut out, characters disappear for a large portions of the film and the movie is mostly exposition. And I found it too short because I would’ve like to see more of a few elements in the film. Still a great watch. Se7en, on the otherhand, is practically flawless so it gets my vote! And just a little side note; I prefer both over Fight Club...

Se7en, even though Zodiac is good too.

I prefer seven, but both made my top 30 on flickchart. Both are winners in my book or chart.

Here goes another attempt. I prefer Zodiac for the simple reason: it gets more disturbing with each viewing. Even though both films belong to the serial-killer genre, their priorities in regard to themes, tone, atmosphere, approach to the actual procedural work are very different. For starters, I love the dingy setting of Se7en, but it's always had a very fantastical quality to it, making the film feel a wee bit less authentic than Zodiac which, in comparison, feels effortlessly uncomfortable, and not just by virtue of the fact that it's based on real crimes, for even the depictions of the crimes are unalike. Se7en takes you into oppressive, downright disgusting places but lets your imagination connect the dots, because only the lurid details of the aftermath are visible on the screen. In Zodiac, however, the killer quite audaciously invades your personal space and, as a result, your sense of security, with murders shown to be taking place during serene situations of the everyday in which one would traditionally feel quite comfortable: a routine cab ride, a tryst, a nice sunny picnic spot. By bringing attention to these aspects, I'm trying to put emphasis on the way the murders are shot, in addition to their contextual significance. Se7en intentionally portrays the city as a figurative hell in which all kinds of psychos and morally revolting people are the denizens. This is shocking but still makes sense. However, the violence presented in Zodiac works in stark contrast to the mundane and the everyday, in order to reinforce the idea of detached security. For instance, the Lake Berryessa attack is very POV in its construction: you see the Zodiac killer spying on the couple with the latter's subjective line of vision matching the audience's making their subjectivity ours, his diabolic attire slightly blurred by yellow dry grass when, within the blink of an eye, a leisurely afternoon turns into a nightmarish event you won't be forgetting until your dying breath (for the surviving male, of course). These murder scenes in the first half get under your skin without being exploitative, and give you an idea as to how the Zodiac killer became the ultimate Boogie Man. Some more points I would like to add for the sake of this comparative analysis – namely that Se7en is about the search for the killer, whereas Zodiac is about the search for truth, for closure. Deep down, Zodiac's characters probably realize as the years go by that they're not looking for something tangible; and this allows Zodiac to pose existential questions more thought-provoking than Se7en's morally substantial but straightforward do-you-help-others-or-wallow-in-apathy riddle. Furthermore, I really like the dichotomy between truth and fact in Zodiac, as all the facts at the characters' disposal may not be enough to lead them to the truth, and by the same token, knowing the truth may not help in retreading the path to those facts (I mean, how do you prove the killer guilty without facts?). If critiquing the media and information age is the yardstick, then Zodiac absolutely buries every other flick Fincher has ever made, including The Social Network and Gone Girl. Finally, to mention the more subjective/taste-related reasons, I do find Zodiac's take on obsession more relatable, its atmosphere more haunting, and the performances more sincere (although between the two films Spacey is the best performer). My conclusion, Zodiac is Fincher's magnum opus.

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Hard choice but Seven edges this one in the suspense department.

Seven is pretentious, overwrought, ponderous, pseudointellectual slop -- and those are its good qualities. I'm not the biggest Fincher fan (obviously), but Zodiac is a very good film.

I watched Zodiac for the 3rd time today and I can finally say that I LOVE this film. Not saying I didn't like it after my first 2 viewings but this is a film that gets better, more disturbing and more interesting every time you catch something new. It was pretty hard to really catch the full image of Zodiac for me but I can now confidentely say that I finally did. The use of music, the Zodiac's murders and the scene at the basement didn't really scare me in the slightest until I watched it for the 3rd time today. So yeah, I may have a new favourite David Fincher film.

Se7en is the much better work from fincher. Zodiac is too long, boring and a worse ending. Se7en is a 10/10 masterpiece.

Se7en, although certain scenes in Zodiac are better

Se7en is a masterpiece none of fincher's other movies can be compared with it.

Total no-brainer for me: Se7en, at the end of the day, is a fairly standard (albeit very well-executed) detective flick, whereas Zodiac is genuinely amazing.

Se7en is definitely the better film, but Zodiac isn't a slouch. But Se7en is comfortably above most other films by Fincher for its phenomenal screenplay

Zodiac Is So Much Scarier, Better Plot As Well. Zodiac Wins.