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Zodiac

2007Runtime unavailableMysteryThriller

Movie details, ratings, and The Rewatchables episode for Zodiac.

On the mic
Zodiac2007
RT CRITICS90
RT AUDIENCE78
METACRITIC79
Directed byDavid FincherMovie director
On the mic
RT critics90%Tomatometer
RT audience78%Popcornmeter
Metacritic79Critic score

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Zodiac is available…

THE POD'S PICKS

Episode awards

See who or what the hosts picked for each award.

31award categories
EPISODE 433

Zodiac ("The Re-Zodiac")

18 picked · 4 without a winner

Who won the movie?

Picked on the show

Fincher

They explicitly agree that Fincher won the movie, though they also note Zodiac’s myth got a boost from the film.

~ 2:08:00Runner-up: Zodiac

Most rewatchable scene

Likely pick

the Bluff murder

The room treats the Bluff murder as the film’s most rewatchable scene because it is the most unsettling and memorable sequence discussed.

~ 0:56:00Runner-up: the basement scene

Apex Mountain

No winner

No clear winner

They debate whether Zodiac or The Social Network is Fincher’s peak, with no full consensus, though Zodiac is strongly defended as his best movie.

~ 1:36:00Runner-up: Social Network
Show every award19 more, in episode order

Denethy's Benny Hannah award

Likely pick

the Bluff murder location

They settle on the Bluff murder location as the standout scene-stealing location, with Morty’s and the diner getting mentions as alternatives.

~ 0:56:00Runner-up: Morty’s bar

Next rewatchable scene

Likely pick

Melvin Belli’s live TV appearance with fake Zodiac

They move to Melvin Belli’s TV appearance as the next standout scene because of Brian Cox’s over-the-top performance.

~ 0:56:00

Amanda Dobbins award for best piece of real estate

Likely pick

Paul Avery’s water-view place

Paul Avery’s waterfront place is singled out as the coolest piece of real estate in the movie.

~ 0:56:00

Sean Fennessey award for stealth homage that gives every movie neared a criteria orgasm

Likely pick

Memories of Murder

They identify the kid’s line “he looked normal” as a nod to Memories of Murder, while allusions to All the President’s Men are also acknowledged.

~ 1:04:00Runner-up: All the President’s Men

The Steven Seagal Shitting on Himself Award for Most Unbelievable Anecdote from the actual film shoot

Likely pick

Fincher’s obsessive take-counting and digital workflow stories

The behind-the-scenes anecdote chosen is Fincher’s extreme take-counting and digital precision, which the hosts treat as absurd but true.

~ 1:04:00Runner-up: the actors’ complaints about 50-plus takes

Is there a porn parody for this movie?

Picked on the show

The Zodiac Killer

They confirm a porn parody exists, starring John Holmes in a cop role in The Zodiac Killer.

~ 1:12:00Runner-up: John Holmes as the cop

The Vincent Chase award for Are We Sure This Character Was Good At His Job

Likely pick

Zodiac

They joke that Zodiac is a bad serial killer because he fails to finish murders and leaves too many identifying clues.

~ 1:12:00

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the weak link of the film

Likely pick

the Avery trip to Riverside

The Riverside trip is the main weak-link candidate, though they also note that the Donald Chaney material could have been handled more clearly.

~ 1:12:00Runner-up: Donald Chaney / the explanation of his credibility

What’s aged the worst?

Likely pick

the four-years-later time jump and missing montage

They think the movie’s blunt four-years-later transition is the worst-aged choice, with Armstrong’s wig also drawing criticism.

~ 1:20:00Runner-up: Anthony Edwards’s wig

The Rose from Titanic award for character who sneaky sucks

No winner

No clear winner

The hosts mostly reject the premise and do not settle on a clear character who secretly sucks.

~ 1:20:00Runner-up: Melanie Graysmith / Eileen

The Rick Dalton award for the greatest fucking acting I’ve ever seen

Likely pick

Robert Downey Jr.

Downey’s houseboat work is named the best acting in the movie, with Clea DuVall mentioned as another strong heat-check performance.

~ 1:28:00Runner-up: Clea DuVall

Hottest take award

Picked on the show

Zodiac is the greatest American crime film ever made

One host says Zodiac is the greatest American crime film, while another goes further and calls Zodiac the greatest serial killer of all time.

~ 1:28:00Runner-up: Zodiac is the GOAT serial killer

Cruiser Hanks

No winner

No clear winner

They land on Cruise for Graysmith/Toski-style casting discussion, but also argue Hanks could have played Toski and note multiple alternate configurations.

~ 1:44:00Runner-up: Tom Hanks as Toski

Best Tang, worst Tang

Likely pick

Paul Avery

Paul Avery is chosen as the best tang, while Zodiac himself is jokingly identified as the worst tang.

~ 1:44:00Runner-up: none

Picky Nits

Likely pick

the movie’s handling of the Zodiac timeline and some dialogue details

They nitpick a few plausibility issues, especially the timeline explanations, the Avery meeting setup, and the anachronistic pasta order.

~ 1:44:00Runner-up: the penne a la vodka order

Unanswerable questions

No winner

No clear winner

The hosts settle on “Who’s the Zodiac?” as the key unanswerable question, alongside broader questions about obsession and handwriting expertise.

~ 1:52:00Runner-up: what other obsession was worth Graysmith’s life?

What piece of memorabilia would you want or not want from this movie?

Likely pick

the I Am Not Paul Avery button

They most want the I Am Not Paul Avery button, while rejecting the wooden dildo as the least desirable artifact.

~ 2:00:00Runner-up: the original Zodiac letters

Coach Finstock, Mr. Miyagi award for best or worst life lesson

Likely pick

it’s not finished until you type it up

The chosen lesson is that work isn’t finished until it’s typed up, with a second lesson about obsessive persistence also noted.

~ 2:00:00Runner-up: don’t give up on a murder investigation

Best double feature

Likely pick

Dirty Harry

They pick Dirty Harry as the best companion film, with All the President’s Men as an obvious thematic reference point.

~ 2:00:00Runner-up: All the President’s Men
EPISODE 15

Zodiac

8 picked · 1 without a winner

most rewatchable scene

Picked on the show

Graysmith and Avery in the bar

The room settles on the bar scene as the best balance of character interaction and rewatch value.

~ 0:16:00Runner-up: the interrogation scene

what’s aged the best

Picked on the show

the film’s procedural ambiguity and obsessive detail

They agree the movie’s ambiguity and painstaking period detail have held up especially well.

~ 0:24:00

Apex Mountain for Jake Gyllenhaal

Picked on the show

not Zodiac

They reject Zodiac as Gyllenhaal’s Apex Mountain and lean instead toward later titles like Enemy and Prisoners.

~ 0:40:00Runner-up: Enemy
Show every award6 more, in episode order

what’s aged the worst

No winner

No clear winner

The speakers mostly reject the idea that any part of the film itself has aged badly, focusing instead on outside factors like the Oscars.

~ 0:32:00

Apex Mountain for Downey

Picked on the show

not Zodiac

They say Zodiac is a major turning point for Downey but not his peak, with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and later fame stronger contenders.

~ 0:40:00Runner-up: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Best S-check performance by a role player, a.k.a. the Dion Waiters Award

Picked on the show

John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Lee Allen

After running through a crowded field of character actors, they pick John Carroll Lynch as the standout role-player performance.

~ 0:40:00Runner-up: Elias Koteas as Detective Molyneux

best quote

Picked on the show

"Those are the same two things."

They cite several lines, but the Avery exchange about reading and books is the clearest quoted favorite.

~ 0:56:00Runner-up: "Hey, bullet, it's been almost a year. You're going to fucking catch this guy or what?"

who won this movie

Picked on the show

David Fincher

They ultimately give the movie to Fincher for the depth of scholarship and control on display.

~ 0:56:00Runner-up: Robert Downey Jr.

who did it?

Likely pick

Arthur Lee Allen

At the end, they lean toward Arthur Lee Allen as the likely Zodiac, while acknowledging the evidence remains uncertain.

~ 1:04:00Runner-up: null

About these picks Winners come from the episode transcript. Timestamps may be a little off.

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Zodiac, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

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THE PODCAST

The Rewatchables episodes

EPISODE15

Zodiac

Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Andy Greenwald

Bill says there will be a Re-Zodiac during the Bill's 50 Most Rewatchable Movies of the 21st Century ep