4. Fight Club (1999)

“WHAT?!” FIGHT CLUB IS ONLY #4! HOW DARE YOU, DAN! HOW DARE, YOU!” Along with Pulp Fiction, Fight Club is that movie film students hold a special place for. There’s probably a church where they all gather, as holy music plays around the Fight Club DVD. Look, I clearly like this movie. I have it #4 on the damn list. But the absolute gushing over it is a little much. My argument is basically this – while Fight Club has great individual scenes, it doesn’t work for me as a whole. By the second half, I honestly lost interest. And while an entertaining character, I find Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) really annoying at times, and not in a good way. Having said all that, there are some brilliant elements to this film. I love Edward Norton’s narration, and all the camera work and style that goes into how his life works is fantastic. Helena Bonham Carter is great, and that convenience store scene with the clerk is screenwriting at its best. What I find fascinating about Fight Club is how obvious the big twist is when you watch it a second time, and I mean that as a huge compliment. Fight Club is a great movie, alright. It’s just not the greatest thing to ever be put on screen.

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