
Getty Image
David Fincher’s filmography may be considered short and concise in comparison to those of other directors, but he’s certainly made each and every film count.
Fincher pours his erudite nature into his work, choosing to tell stories that feature characters who are the smartest in their respective worlds, whether it be the egocentric Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010) or the vigilante hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). Fincher also places a lot of trust in the audience, and forces them to relish the complex processes and relationships that are developed over the course of his films. It’s not the destination that Fincher is interested in – it’s the journey. Fincher was born in Denver, Colorado to his mother Claire, a mental health nurse, and his father Howard, an author. When Fincher was 2, the family moved to California where they counted the film-maker and Star Wars creator George Lucas as one of their neighbours. He knew from a young age that he wanted to get into the film-making industry. Fincher has recalled the exact moment that he came to this realisation, “I was 8 years old…and I’d just seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He [my father] said ‘What did you think?’ because he loved the movie and I said ‘That was amazing!’” He then declared that he wanted to make movies, of which his father was supportive.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

David Fincher and Justin Timberlake at the Blu-ray and DVD launch party of “The Social Network”. Getty Image