Alien 3 (1992)

Yell! Review:

David Fincher’s major film debut was a disappointment in most people’s eyes, but he learned from his mistakes in the film to make such brilliant gems as Se7en and Fight Club. Alien 3 has Ripley crash on a prison planet with alien in tow. She has to fight off killers and rapists until all the men forget about their lust and come together to kill the alien in their midst. They succeed but Ripley discovers she has one growing inside her and rather than allow the corporation to use it in their bio-weapons division, she commits suicide.

Although the film was a flop when compared to Scott’s and Cameron’s kick at the can, you do see some of the trademark style David Fincher has been congratulated for later in his career: His movies are dark and he uses shadows to great effect while also creating suspense by shooting at close proximity to the actors. This claustrophobia makes viewers uncomfortable and causes more shock when the scenes turn violent. Alien 3 was a good start for Fincher and without it we may not have his later brilliant work since he took the lessons from his only bomb to create his future masterpieces.