Don't Call Movies "Fincher-esque" It Makes the Real Fincher Queasy

As a new generation of filmmakers rises up, it's fair and sometimes easy to compare them to the generation prior. Usually, that means substituting a famous last name and adding "esque" to it. 

Unless it's "Spielbergian." 

As it turns out, David Fincher really hates those comparisons, especially the ones invoking his name. 

In an interview with Empire magazine, Fincher said the term “Fincher-esque” makes him “a little queasy."

He went on to expand upon this thought. 

“I think it’s a good thing to have an audience have some expectation of you because it gives you opportunities to subvert that,” Fincher said. “When you’re making a movie like ‘Gone Girl,’ it’s not a bad thing that people have seen ‘Se7en’ and know that shit can go seriously off the rails. The threat of that is actually kind of positive. You get to play with expectations. It’s your responsibility to be aware of that and use it to your advantage, as opposed to letting it get in the way of the story you’re trying to tell.”

For Fincher, subverting audience expectations is the most important thing. 

One thing that would blow us all away is if Fincher tackled a comedy, but according to him, “I mean, ‘Fight Club’ is satire and ‘Gone Girl’ is satire, so the comic side of that is not one of necessarily going, ‘Wah-wah-wahhh.’ You’re not doling out jokes. I mean, I would love to read a script of ‘Being There,’ had it not been made, and make something like that. But I guess that’s satire, too. I find a lot of comedy, with air quotes, to be a little obsequious.”

Sounds like we won't see him teaming up with Judd Apatow any time soon. 

Head over to Empire’s website to read more from Fincher. There are some real gems... I'll leave you with this one where Fincher talks about his biggest inspirations, 

"Obviously George Roy Hill, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, Steven Spielberg, Alan Pakula, and Bob Fosse. All the normal greats. Hal Ashby. All the people that you would guess."

But don't say any of their stuff is Fincher-esque. 

Up next? 

Want to learn more about Finch? Of course, you do. Who doesn't?! Check out this story about how he uses color.