In the minds of the majority of ’90s youth, David Fincher’sFight Clubis worth its weight in gold, with a lot of critics and fans revering it as a cult classic. Though this wasn’t always the case, as upon its release,Fight Clubwas viewed as a box-office disappointment commercially, and a film that tried too hard creatively.
Fight Club
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10Another Round (2020)
Another Round
Thomas Vinterberg’s film provides a refreshing take on alcohol and the impact it has on humans by using four middle-aged men as its centerpiece. The four friends start off by ingesting alcohol as an experiment, but soon find the lines blurred between functionality and dysfunctionality when societal ties and responsibilities kick in.
A Closer Look Into Masculinity and Grief
Much likeFight Club,Another Rounduses men and masculinity and alcohol as a vehicle to confront matters of life and death. What starts out as a boozy affair slowly turns into a potent cocktail of hedonism and grief. Thomas Vinterberg’s film might differ from Fincher’s in terms of visual tones, but the themes surrounding masculinity and grief do converge at various points.
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9Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky’sRequiem for a Dreamis another cult classic on the list.A haunting portrait of the dangers of addictionsof many kinds, Aronofsky’s film offers a closer look at addiction, addressing it in various shapes and sizes.
A Deep Dive Into Various Sorts of Addictions
Both films provide an insight into the subject of male mental health and society’s impact on its deterioration. WhileFight Clubis more layered and nuanced in its approach,Requiem for a Dreamis an all-out sucker punch that doesn’t beat around the bush and drags the viewer down to the depths of addiction hell. The scene where Sara, an old lady (who’s addicted to weight-loss pills) starts hallucinating while watching herself on TV, is so horrifying and heartbreaking, that it’s bound to haunt the chambers of your memories.
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8Gone Girl (2014)
Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name,Gone Girlis considered one Fincher’s best psychological thrillers. The plot follows a woman (Rosamund Pike) who disappears mysteriously on her fifth wedding anniversary, sending her husband’s world into a whirlpool of chaos and allegations.
A Moody Tale About Love Gone Cold
WhileFight Clubmight be more alpha and masculine in its veneer,Gone Girlprovides a different take on masculinity, capturing it in its most vulnerable and decaying state.Gone Girlis visually dark and moody, constantly twisting and turning in terms of the narrative, keeping the viewer hooked to their seats. The anxiety-inducing score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross adds to the film’s moody charm, makingGone Girlessential Fincher viewing.
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7American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho
American Psychois another must-watch cult classic from the 2000s. Mary Harron’s film takes a dig at capitalism and the yuppie culture by exploring the life of a wealthy investment banker with a fragile ego anddelusional psychopathic tendencies.
An Exploration of the Yuppie Culture and its Ill Effects on Society
Mary Harron’s feminine gaze objectively brings out the inherent male stupidity that’s fueled by competition and the effects of capitalism. WhileFight Clubis more sympathetic to the effects of capitalism on men by capturing their degradation,American Psychouses comedy and satire to ridicule its subject, painting a portrait that’s dangerously scary and idiotic.
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6Good Time (2017)
Directed by the promising duo, the Safdie Brothers,Good Timerevolves around a failed bank robbery that sees developmentally-disabled Nick (Benny Safdie) get apprehended by the cops. Worried sick for him, his brother Connie (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the dark underbelly of New York to get him out.
Dive Into the Criminal Underbelly of New York
BothFight ClubandGood Timeare tonal cousins in that they’re visually cut from the same cloth. WhileFight Clubleans more on the side of existentialism and capitalism,Good Timeis more dingy and boasts of strange happenings in the underworld. Where both films converge is in their common theme of mentally disturbed men who are the products of societal norms and their reactions to their surroundings.
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5The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight
Many would argue that Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knightis arguably one ofthe best Batman filmsto have ever been made. The film is treated with a raw and visceral reality that previous predecessors avoided, and pits the masked vigilante against one of his most formidable foes: the Joker.
Iconic Antiheroes
WhileThe Dark Knightis mainly navigated by Batman’s (Christian Bale) moral compass,Fight Clubis led by the strange machinations of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and The Narrator (Edward Norton). Both films don’t approach reality through a rose-tinted lens, rather shining their spotlight on the dark underbelly of society and the twisted men that fester in it.
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4Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko
Another early 2000s cult classic on the list,Donnie Darkois a dark film that revolves around a teenage boy of the same name (Jake Gyllenhaal), who narrowly escapes a bizarre accident and is plagued by visions of a rabbit that manipulates him into committing a series of crimes.
A Cult Classic That’s Still Relevant in Today’s Time
In terms of narrative similarity, bothFight ClubandDonnie Darkohave a strong element of a creepy and mysterious character that influences their subjects and convinces them to challenge their way of thinking.Donnie Darkomatches Fincher’s film in terms of mood and tone, but slightly differs fromFight Clubdealing with themes of surrealism and fantasy. That being said,Donnie Darkois an essential classic that has stood the test of time and is considered valuable entertainment.
3Joker (2019)
On paper,Jokertries to answer all the questions thatFight Clubposes. The film charts the origin story of Batman’s arch nemesis and shines light on what transformed a mere clown, Arthur Fleck, into the Crown Prince of Gotham.
A Portrait of the Ill Effects of Capitalism on Masculinity
Despite the mounds of praise heaped onJoker,Todd Phillips’ portrait of a man’s descent into madness and his revenge on society doesn’t quite match up to Fincher’s analysis of capitalism and its effects on the male psyche. When viewed as a standalone film,Jokerworks well, and is reminiscent of a modern variant ofFight Club,with a similarity in visuals and tone but also enriched with narrative heritage and a mind-blowing performance by Joaquin Phoenix.
2Brazil (1985)
Terry Gilliam’sBrazilis a surreal and weird film to process. Much likeFight Club,butdrenched in sci-fiand a surrealistic rendition of fantasy, the film takes place in a future world where a low-level clerk gets stuck in a web full of deceit and bureaucratic layers, as he’s framed for the murder of an innocent man.
A Dystopian Take on the Problems of Bureaucracy
Brazilmatches up to the taste ofFight Clubfans, who appreciate the psychological aspect of Fincher’s film. Gilliam’s film further indulges in the bizarre world of science fiction, taking it away from reality and giving it a feel of a tale of fantasy.
1Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driverwas one of the first few mainstream films that tackled the subject of the mental issues of masculinity head-on. Martin Scorsese’s iconic film saw Robert De Niro star as an ex-marine taxi driver named Travis, who is descending into madness, and fed up with where the world is going. During one of his night trips, he encounters an underage sex worker (Jodie Foster), and decides to help rid her from the evil clutches of her pimp.
Damaged Men That Are Products of a Damaged Society
Both Travis Bickle andFight Club’sNarrator (Edward Norton) have a plethora of psychological issues that have been the result of years of social conditioning. While one man is a blue-collar worker, the other’s world is set in a corporate set-up that’s devoid of emotions and life. Initially viewed as a successful arthouse film, Scorsese’s classic also served as one of the pioneering films that laid the pavement blocks for dark character studies that revolved around the dangerous psyche of men.
