Film scholar Mark Browning offers the first detailed analysis of the work of David Fincher, director of the critically acclaimed films Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

David Fincher is one of the most exciting filmmakers working in Hollywood today. He has produced a string of groundbreaking films that have achieved both critical and commercial success, while constantly challenging audiences to rethink their expectations of generic boundaries. David Fincher: Films That Scar is the first truly analytical work on the films of this mysterious and complex filmmaker.

This insightful book analyzes all of Fincher’s feature films, as well as examples of his commercials and pop videos, tracing key influences that include his background in special effects. It considers how he creates roles for strong women, how he has extended the detective genre, and how he adapts cult texts. The book also questions whether Fincher’s films, famous for their downbeat endings and dark visual style, are really bleak or just part of an unconventional approach to filmmaking. In the end, readers will understand the development of Fincher’s individual films and appreciate how the films relate closely to each other.

Includes a bibliography of cited texts