I remember not liking it all that much when I first saw it, but I can’t for the life of me remember my own reasoning for that.
Now it’s my favourite film.
That’s kinda interesting in its own right, as this is such a Gen X movie, which I’m not a part of. It’s a movie that to me seems to delve into the general sentiment about a lack of direction/purpose and ideals to strive towards this generation was feeling around the time, which I don’t think directly translates to Millennials or Gen Z.
Yet, because the writing is so compelling and rich, it’s still engaging from beginning to end. Its themes are not dated in the slightest, and have only become more and more relevant as time went on.
It has 3 great characters at the center, fantastic and tight storytelling ([spoiler] the twist is genius [/spoiler]) with lots of sharp and poignant dialogue, and Fincher is on top of his directing game.
The cinematography and score are both raw, dirty and disgusting, and I mean that in the best possible way.
It’s also quite challenging in the way it analyzes masculinity and its place in our modern, capitalist society. None of that is handed to you on a plate, you have to put some thought into its ideological messaging, otherwise you might very well get to the wrong conclusion.
It may not be the most accessible film on first viewing, but the film will open up on a second viewing, because your entire perspective as a viewer is completely different.

10/10