Expertly crafted and electrified with scorching narrative complexity, Zodiac is a daring examination at the hunt for one of the most notorious serial killers

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2017)

The hunt for one of America's most infamous serial killers known as the Zodiac Killer is on, and David Fincher is the man to take the director's chair to bring this true story to sparkling colors. Zodiac is not a film that engages any typical serial killer conventions, it is part-police-procedural, part-mystery; both of which are blend together to generate an electrifying examination at the story following the San Francisco police department and their attempts at hunting down the criminal in a case that was sadly remained unsolved. If you know Fincher, you should expect that he doesn't believe in playing things straightforward. He, along with writer James Vanderbilt who adapts the script from the real-life detective involved Robert Graysmith, crafts the story with frequent narrative conundrums and shocking twists to leave the audience no more or no less puzzled than the lead character and the police detectives involved with the infamous case. With the story sprawling through the 1960s and 1970s, the film follows Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle who comes involved with a string of murders perpetrated by an anonymous being known as the Zodiac Killer. With the San Francisco police department in pursuit, Graysmith along his fellow reporter Paul Avery (played by Robert Downey Jr.) cross paths with Detective David Toschi (played by Mark Ruffalo) and William Armstrong (played by Anthony Edwards) as they pitted in a game of cat-and- mouse as the killer ignites an increasing body count and taunts them with encrypted messages that hold secrets the criminal's identity.
David Fincher has a thoughtful eye for visual detail, and this powerfully demonstrated by his capture of 1960s (and eventually the 70s) San Francisco. From the vintage automobiles, to the production design, Fincher keeps things realistic as possible. But that is just the beginning of how the director puts his filmmaking pastiche on display, his methodology on taking the true crime story from pages of Robert Graysmith's memoir and bringing it to life is the real deal. Fincher tackles the mystery crime case with wild complexity that defies against conventional storytelling. The former half focuses on the steadily progressive bloodbath woven by the killer's twisted schemes before diving into the anxiety of the lead character and the police department as they are constantly played as puppets of the criminal's cryptic plan, and Fincher never lets his opportunities to breathing sheer suspense into the picture go to waste. With a solid barrage of hair-raising contorts, the man spins the plot into an enigmatic tale that requires us to question everything and drive use to point of throbbing our heads of with bold conspiracies. At the same time, he also builds upon an absorbing character study of the lead character as his increasing obsession with unmasking the killer not only puts a strain on his family but leaves with spun into a conspiracy- thumping craze. And Jake Gyllenhaal puts on a strong performance to weave energy in his role. Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo remain solid throughout, but perhaps nothing particularly grand in their cases. The best thing to say about the cast is most of everyone sustains throughout the picture.
Zodiac is an expertly crafted mystery picture electrified with scorching narrative complexity and gripping suspense that dares to you guessing at very turn. For a best estimated target demographic, the film will most likely to please viewers who have the patience to withstand David Fincher's trickery for capturing the energy of the plot, especially with a lengthy runtime. For those who lack the patience, they certainly do not know what they are missing.