David Fincher Was So Uncomfortable During The Standing Ovation For His New Film "The Killer" That He Tried To Leave

David Fincher is one of the greatest living directors. Let me take that back: David Fincher is one of the greatest directors ever. It doesn't matter if they're living or dead. David Fincher puts out exclusively bangers, which comes from somebody who was somewhat underwhelmed by his last film, "Mank." Fincher has reached a point where expectations are so high that they're almost impossible. His newest film, "The Killer," seems like it will be another Oscar-caliber film for Fincher. I'm really excited to see it. Fincher is one of those directors who could make anything, and I'd still be curious to see it. 

I wrote a few days ago about how the Yorgos Lanthimos film "Poor Things" received a 10-minute standing ovation, which is just a reflection of how gratuitous and pompous the people in Hollywood tend to be. One thing I like about Fincher is that he doesn't put up with any of that bullshit. He's a straight shooter, which is awesome. But even he couldn't avoid standing ovation season. Should we be concerned that "The Killer" only received a five-minute standing ovation? I'll let you decide. 

I think Fincher represents all of us here. I've never received a standing ovation for anything. I can't imagine that I ever will, but if I received a standing ovation for five minutes, it would be so goddamn uncomfortable. There's really no reason for that. I'd just get up and leave. I don't need to be filleted with applause. Just write a positive review on Rotten Tomatoes and call it a day.

It's kind of interesting how things have changed for David Fincher. He's now a critical darling, but there was a period when he was the edgy director that critics didn't want to acknowledge. Films like "Se7en" and "Fight Club" are masterfully made movies, but they never received a ton of awards attention, largely because of how heavy their subject matter was. Fincher didn't get nominated for Best Director until he made "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in 2008. It shows how insane the Oscars are that one of the greatest filmmakers of all time didn't get proper recognition until later in his career. He still hasn't won an Academy Award for Best Director. 

David Fincher strikes me as the directorial equivalent of a basketball player who puts up 40 points a night and has no desire to talk to the press afterward. His job is to make movies. He does it better than almost anybody. He doesn't give a shit about the standing ovation. He cares about the legacy that his films will leave. Here's hoping that "The Killer" is another in a long list of David Fincher classics.