Fight Club Review: A Biting, Brutal Satire
9/10 — Fight Club (1999)
Pros
- Dazzling direction
- Pitt and Norton at their best
- A twist that rewards rewatching
Cons
- Intense violence
- Often misread as a celebration
An insomniac office worker, played by Edward Norton, forms an underground fight club with a charismatic soap salesman, Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden, and things spiral beyond control. Based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, it was divisive on release and has become a cult favourite.
What works
David Fincher’s direction is slick, inventive and darkly funny, with a twisting plot that rewards repeat viewing. Pitt is magnetic, Norton brilliantly neurotic, and Helena Bonham Carter adds a sharp, strange energy. The Dust Brothers’ score gives it a unique rhythm.
Where it falters
Its violence is relentless, and its ideas about masculinity are sometimes taken at face value by viewers who miss that the film is satirising them.
Verdict
Bold, sharp and unforgettable, even if you can’t help hearing the first rule.
