Film Snail

7.5

Zodiac

R·2007·157m

Crime

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

Crime

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

Summary

The zodiac murders cause the lives of Paul Avery, David Toschi and Robert Graysmith to intersect.

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal

Robert Graysmith

Mark Ruffalo

David Toschi

Anthony Edwards

William Armstrong

Robert Downey Jr.

Paul Avery

Chloë Sevigny

Melanie

Elias Koteas

Jack Mulanax

John Carroll Lynch

Arthur Leigh Allen

Brian Cox

Melvin Belli

Dermot Mulroney

Martin Lee

Charles Fleischer

Bob Vaughn

Zach Grenier

Mel Nicolai

Philip Baker Hall

Sherwood Morrill

James Le Gros

George Bawart

Donal Logue

Ken Narlow

Richmond Arquette

Zodiac 1 / Zodiac 2

Bob Stephenson

Zodiac 3

John Lacy

Zodiac 4

Ed Setrakian

Al Hyman

John Getz

Templeton Peck

John Terry

Charles Thieriot

Candy Clark

Carol Fisher

June Diane Raphael

Mrs. Toschi

Ciara Hughes

Darlene Ferrin

Lee Norris

Young Mike Mageau

Patrick Scott Lewis

Bryan Hartnell

Pell James

Cecilia Shepard

David Lee Smith

Father

Jason Wiles

Lab Tech Dagitz

Charles Schneider

Cabbie / Paul Stine

James Carraway

Shorty

Tom Verica

Jim Dunbar

Jimmi Simpson

Mike Mageau

Doan Ly

Belli's Housekeeper

Karina Logue

Woman

Joel Bissonnette

Inspector Kracke

John Mahon

Riverside Captain

Matt Winston

John Allen

Jules Bruff

Catherine Allen

John Ennis

Terry Pascoe

J. Patrick McCormack

Police Commissioner

Adam Goldberg

Duffy Jennings

Clea DuVall

Linda del Buono

Paul Schulze

Sandy Panzarella

Adam Trese

Detective #1

Penny Wallace

Mulanax's Secretary

John Hemphill

Donald Cheney

Michel Francoeur

Man on Marquee

Thomas Kopache

Copy Editor #1

Barry Livingston

Copy Editor #3

Christopher John Fields

Copy Editor #4

Jack Samson

Young David Graysmith

Micah Sauers

David Graysmith

Zachary Sauers

Aaron Graysmith

Jessica Baltutis

Margot Graysmith

Peter Quartaroli

Patrolman Fouke

Geoff Callan

Patrolman Zelms

Michael Hungerford

Truck Driver

Anna Katarina

Society Woman

E.P. McKnight

Informant (Hall of Justice A)

Betty Murphy

Informant

Jeff Daniel Phillips

Informant

Shane Woodson

Informant

Cookie Crawford

Informant #8

Cassius M. Willis

Uniform Cop

Judith Drake

Florence Douglas

Phoebe Holston

Prison Guard

Marty Lodge

Pinole Foreman

Cooper Thornton

Internal Affairs Agent #1

Cazimir Milostan

Internal Affairs Agent #2

Charlotte Ferguson

Kathleen Johns' baby

Phoebe Ferguson

Kathleen Johns' baby

Kacey Malmsten

Kathleen Johns' baby

Karly Malmsten

Kathleen Johns' baby

JD Cullum

Director

Stanley B. Herman

Staff Editor

Roy Lee Jones

Distraught African American Male

Michael Rose

Navy Project Leader

James Joseph O'Neil

DOD Project Leader

Rod Damer

FBI Codebreaker

John Sarno

Donald Harden

Gloria Grant

Bettye Harden

Brett Rickaby

Detective Roy

M.F. Bernier

Detective #2

Carter Evans

Newscaster #2

Bill Seward

TV News Anchor

Dave Nemeth

Newscaster #4

Ted Garcia

Anchorman #1

Greg Wolf

Interviewer #1

Barry LeBrock

Reporter

Ione Skye

Kathleen Johns (uncredited)

David Winston Barge

Vallejo Desk Ofiicer (uncredited)

Hayati Akbas

Hardware Store Customer (uncredited)

Brad Carr

Camera Man (uncredited)

Mitchell Fink

Reporter (uncredited)

Erica Ford

Traveler (uncredited)

Tish Hicks

Informant (uncredited)

Danielle McKee

Prisoner (uncredited)

Derris Nile

Office Worker (uncredited)

Carmen Plumb

Janie (uncredited)

Callie Thompson

Child Witness (uncredited)

Bud Davis

Patrolman (uncredited)

Crew

Director

David Fincher

Book

Robert Graysmith

Screenplay

James Vanderbilt

Reviews

John Chard

May 28, 2019

Peerless precision from Fincher.

I have seen it written that this film shows that Fincher had grown up, and whilst I understand that train of thought, it simply isn't true. What Fincher has done is give a true story his meticulous care and standard deft precision by leaving no stone unturned. We get simply one of the (if not thee) best films to deal with the investigating process of a high profile serial killer, a film that as a character study is actually essential viewing in the pantheon of genre productions.

The devilish greatness of this film is in the fact that it can't pay off with a pandering mainstream ending, the makers are telling a true story and any sort of research will lead viewers to the fact that there is no twist here, no joyous ticket selling round of applause at this ending, it is what it is, frustratingly brilliant. The case the film is about consumes all involved with it, and to see how it affects those involved is engrossing (yet sad) because if the viewer is so inclined to jump on board then it will consume you as well, the film and the actors within demand you see this for the affecting character piece it is.

The acting here gives me hope that classic acting is alive and well in this generation, I was once not enamoured with Mark Ruffalo in his early days as an actor, but here he puts such heartfelt verve into the role of David Toschi I felt I need to send him a written apology!. Robert Downey Junior is joyous as Paul Avery, all 60s chic and swagger without tipping over the edge of the mountain caricature (both men to become future Avengers of course). Yet surprisingly to me I found that it is Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith who is the film's key axis, the central heartbeat, with a performance that demands undivided attention, a performance brought about by Fincher's quest for perfection from everything to do with film making. Gyllenhaal hated working on the film, he hated Fincher's work ethic, but in time he must now look back and see that here the director coaxed out a performance that has in time been seen as not only great, but also beneficial to his career (hello Nightcrawler).

This is not Se7en 2, and British film mags like Empire should have known better than to use that tag line to get the readers' attention, because fans of serial killer thrillers need not apply here, fans of outstanding cinema about the human psyche during the pursuit of a serial killer - Well get in line folks, for this is one of the best movies of the decade. 10/10