Zodiac (2007) Review

Zodiac is directed by David Fincher and features Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Edwards. It is based on the true story of the Zodiac killer who spent years tormenting the police and the journalists about his identity. And this was one frightening film, not jump out your seat frightening, it was tense frightening, David Fincher really plays on the unknowing in the film.

Why I think the film is frightening is because it is based on a true story, and being true means no one is safe from the Zodiac, which plays on your mind throughout the entire film. In fiction films you have that feeling that some characters are going to live and you know some will die, but in this film I was never sure who will live or who will die, and this was intensified by some of the scenes. They could be set on a bright sunny day on a park or in the cold dark basement, and they’ll both keep you in the unknown of what will happen. Several times my mouth was wide open because I could not believe what I was seeing, or even what I was hearing. This was all down to perfect timing, perfect environment and perfect acting. The acting was phenomenal by all of the cast, but the main four were just superb. I really enjoyed that all of them have their screen time, I cannot tell you who the main character is because they all are. Each one of them has their opportunity to shine, first it was Robert Downey Jr as a one of the editors (Paul Avery), who he plays so well because the editor is someone who’s cocky and full of them self, a perfect role for Downey Jr. Then we got Mark Ruffalo (Inspector David Toschi) and Anthony Edwards (Inspector William Armstrong) who have to solve the killings, and with the chemistry of both we got the light hearted side with them, with Mark Ruffalo being the witty one, which was needed as without him then the film becomes too dark. And finally we got Jake Gyllenhaal who plays a cartoonist (Robert Graysmith) for the newspapers and he becomes obsessed with the Zodiac, always trying to break the code, and wanting himself to solve it after it becomes stale for a few years. For me Jake Gyllenhaal is starting to become my favourite actor because he was invested in the role (like all of them) and he really sold his character. He and Mark Ruffalo were just brilliant.

We also get to see how time goes by, because it was a mystery that had the cops on the go for a few years and we got to see how the characters developed over that time, we see the cops giving up and we see the public not even caring after a while, it was a wonderfully crafted film.

David Fincher is the master of what we must see and what can be a miss because there is a scene where the Zodiac picks up this mother and child and the Zodiac says something (which I won’t spoil), which got me out of my seat and I was thinking to myself will he actually show that, and that direction really keeps you on the edge because I did not know what I was going to be shown. There were other scenes like that which just shows us how excellent he as a director with most of films always keeping us to the edge.

Zodiac was a phenomenal film that has to be watched, I can guarantee that you will be invested throughout the whole film and it deserves a big 10/10