Netflix drops a trailer for David Fincher's Mank, which could be 2020's best movie

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Netflix has released the first trailer for Mank, the long-awaited new movie from director David Fincher – he of The Social Network, Fight Club and Zodiac fame.

Starring Gary Oldman, the film is about screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz and the intense process of writing the screenplay for classic film Citizen Kane. It's Fincher's first film since Gone Girl in 2014, though he has been working on Netflix's excellent Mindhunter in the meantime.

As well as Oldman, the film features Charles Dance, Amanda Seyfried and Lily Collins, among others. It examines Hollywood during its so-called Golden Age – or re-evaluates it, as Netflix puts it, while its protagonist deals with alcoholism and other stresses. 

If you listen to the excellent Old Hollywood-themed podcast You Must Remember This, you may have slightly more context on some of the figures who pop up in the film's 1930s setting – including Citizen Kane director Orson Welles, with whom 'Mank' has a contentious relationship.

Here's the trailer:

Mank releases on December 4. 

Bold filmmaking techniques

To achieve the look of a movie from the period in which it's set, Fincher and his crew have reportedly recorded the sound for Mank in mono, while the digital black-and-white image has been degraded in post-production. 

The film is based on a screenplay by Fincher's father. While the subject matter of focusing on the making of a classic film is undeniably niche, giving this the air of a Netflix-enabled passion project, Fincher has an outstanding track record. 

He doesn't make bad films, and has a reputation for perfectionism – this is well worth getting excited about, even if the subject isn't as immediately accessible as, say, Facebook or serial killers. 

Samuel Roberts

Samuel is a PR Manager at game developer Frontier. Formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor, he's an expert in Marvel, Star Wars, Netflix shows and general streaming stuff. Before his stint at TechRadar, he spent six years at PC Gamer. Samuel is also the co-host of the popular Back Page podcast, in which he details the trials and tribulations of being a games magazine editor – and attempts to justify his impulsive eBay games buying binges.

Latest in Netflix
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A woman holds a phone and looks concerned in Caught
Netflix drops an eerie trailer for a new Harlan Coben show – I just hope Caught is better than the author's previous TV adaptations
Nicole Kidman wears a blue blouse with her arms crossed.
Netflix might be renewing The Perfect Couple and Beauty in Black for season 2, but I don’t get why when it’s canceled shows with poorer ratings
Susan holding her baby in Toxic Town.
Netflix's #3 show has a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – here are 3 more powerful dramas to watch after Toxic Town
Devil May Cry's Dante has his back to the camera, holding onto a large sword
Netflix's official Devil May Cry trailer features music from my favorite alternative rock band and it's taken me on a serious nostalgia trip
Joe Goldberg and Kate Lockwood sitting at a table and looking at the camera in You season 5.
Netflix releases a killer new trailer for You season 5 but my favorite character is missing from Joe's final chapter
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough