Most younger movie-going audiences knowRobert Downey Jr. for his spot-on performance as the unofficial MCU leader, Iron Man. While he deserves all the credit that he has garnered for setting the Marvel Cinematic Universe on its upward trajectory in 2008, Downey has several more roles that probably better reflect the dynamic actor’s versatility. Most recently,Downey Jr. earned his first Oscarfor his portrayal ofLewis StraussinChristopher Nolan’s critically reveredOppenheimer, but it’s his collaboration withDavid Fincherthat deserved to be his first Oscar win.
One of his most underrated performances is when he plays Paul Avery in master filmmakerDavid Fincher’s taut psychological thrillerZodiacin 2007 — just a year before he would set the cinema world on fire with his trailblazing Marvel role. Downey Jr. is always at his finest when he’s working at breakneck speed and like a dog chasing his own tail. Luckily for us, that’s exactly the way he is in this film, which is based on a true story of the serial killer that terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and into the ’70s.
Between 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.
What Is David Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’ About?
Beginning in 1968,a masked assailant began killing young people in and around the Bay Area in California. What made this “Zodiac” serial killer so unique was his need for attention and toying with the media. They would send ciphers to members of the press including the newsmen ofThe San Francisco Chronicleto taunt them about who they really were and when they might kill again. One of the journalists working at the paper at that time was Paul Avery, a crime-beat writer who ended up knee-deep in the mystery and terror that the Zodiac killer brought for a period of over ten years in total.
Downey brings his patented dose of whimsy to the character of Avery including the rapier-like wit thatwe see in Tony Starkand the silver tongue of many of his other roles. As Avery, his easy-going boozy lifestyle is quickly turned upside down as the Zodiac remains one step ahead of him and taunts the newsman for years. The beauty of this performance and what makes it a bit of an outlier is that Downey also brings an emotionally wrought level to Avery that is consistent with the very bleak and heinous tone of the film.
What Makes Robert Downey Jr. So Good in ‘Zodiac’?
Newsroom banter done right can produce some of the most entertaining and fast-paced dialogue in film. There is something about the up-tempo urgency to the delivery that makes for some real edge-of-your-seat thrills, and the actors involved typically have to be quick, clever, and articulate. Sound like someone you know? Downey Jr. was born to play a reporter (he also nails it as a shock journalist inNatural Born Killers), and he really delivers some hard-hitting and poignant moments in a dark film that serves as theperfect counterbalance to the normal, light-hearted elements that he routinely brings to a project.
The back and forth between Avery and cartoonist-turned-cipher solver Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) are the best exchanges in the film. Avery is the bibulous and jaded veteran that serves as the perfect sounding board for the eager but out-of-his-element Graysmith. These two play off each other likeAll the President’s Men’sBob WoodwardandCarl Bernstein, and it’s a pleasure to watch.
Robert Downey Jr. Knows How to Downward Spiral
We’ve seen Downey Jr. characters do a hard downward spiral before. His heartbreaking portrayal of Julian in the 1987 hitLess Than Zerowas a breakout performance for the young actor. In it, he becomes addicted to crack cocaine and eventually loses everything, including his life. So when Avery starts to hit the booze hard after years of coming up short trying to catch the tauntingserial killer, he begins to routinely cope with the bottle. Avery becomes a recluse, living on a houseboat and drinking himself into a stupor before drinking some more. We all know some of the issues that the resilient performer has dealt with in his personal life, and maybe he is so good as a beaten-down washout because of some of the hard experiences he has gone through.Whatever it is, he nails the part of Avery, and Fincher more than likely knew what he could expect when he cast Downey in the role.
Many of Robert Downey Jr.’s Movies Have a Common Theme
In many Robert Downey Jr. movies, there comes a crucial point in the story where you have to decide whether to join Downey’s character on whatever trajectory he is on, good or bad. InOppenheimer, he plays a divisive but powerful politician who promotes a certain agenda that some follow and others reject.J. Robert Oppenheimerhas to make the choice. InLess Than Zero, he was pulling his friends into the dark abyss of addiction, and they had to make the choice not to follow. In the MCU,Tony Stark inherently has a way of placinga very binary choice of good vs. evil in front of his eventual allies and enemies.
We Can Thank Kids For ‘Iron Man’ Kick-Starting the MCU
The kids are alright!
Zodiacis available to watch on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Watch on Paramount+
