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Zack Snyder, a filmmaker who presents Fanboy Cinema better than anyone in the business, makes polarizing films thanks to his hyper-aggressive visual style. A lover of comic books and genre movies, he turned those passions into a successful career.
No one else has ever translated the vividness of comic books so emphatically, especially with films like 300 and Watchmen.
Zack Snyder may have lessened his presence within the DCEU in the past few years, but he made his return with Netflix’s Army of the Dead, kickstarting Snyderverse 2.0. The movie’s premise is set during a zombie outbreak, with Dave Bautista about to pull off a heist.
The director’s upcoming comedy-thriller, Army of Thieves, has a similar premise as Army of the Dead — zombies, misfits, and heists. But for this film, he handed over the directorial reins to Matthias Schweighöfer, who also stars in the movie. However, the franchise is still penned by him alongside Shay Hatten.
In an interview, Snyder recalled his discussion with Hatten on the film:
“When Shay and I were writing the script for this movie, I was like, ‘Listen, we deconstructed the zombie heist, and we have to do that again, that’s our thing.’”
Zack Snyder’s three best critically acclaimed films
Zack Snyder started his career with Dawn of the Dead, a remake of the George A Romero classic. He then earned a name for himself by getting better and better with every movie.
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch were like stepping stones for the viewers into the grand world Snyder is known for, not to forget the DC Extended Universe he was a part of.
The 55-year-old is a visual craftsman at the top of the game due to his depth with rich material and stunning visuals. With that said, it’s time to look at some of the best works by Zack Snyder, listed according to their cinematic greatness.
1) 300
Released in 2006, Zack Snyder’s 300 highlights his signature insight. A movie worshiped by every professional athlete and wrestler worldwide, 300 is visceral, striking, and relentlessly compelling.
The movie is an extremely close approximation of the Frank Miller graphic novel, offering a brilliant cinematic experience of the fictionalized ancient Greek mythology, making a long-lasting impact on pop culture.
300 was the movie that put Synder on the map as a filmmaker, even if it wasn’t for everyone. The film has its own beauty by being straightforward, especially with all the unapologetic gore content, not to forget the brilliant performance by Gerard Butler.
Zack Snyder gives the tale of King Leonidas an epic sense of scale and grandeur, making the movie spectacularly fun for those seeking a cinematic adrenaline rush.
300 is available to stream on Netflix.
2) Dawn of the Dead
A remake of George A Romero’s classic 1978 zombie film, Dawn of the Dead, is a solid blend of action and horror with a brilliant script by James Gunn. Released in 2004, the movie is Zack Snyder’s debut project and tries to follow Romero’s socially conscious footsteps of creating the perfect balance of horror and action while also critiquing the consumer culture.
What makes the movie even more interesting is Synder’s willingness to embrace the weirder elements of Gunn’s script instead of rejecting them like the zombie newborn. The film’s cast is literally a stack of strong performers from top to bottom to the point that they can be tricked into being real people in actual dangers stuck in an apocalypse.
It’s a merciless yet compassionate project.
3) Watchmen
Yet another comic brought to life, the 2009 film was an adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1980s comic Watchmen and was deemed impossible to film due to its timeless quality and enduring popularity. But Zack Snyder’s adaptation proved to be his strongest film yet due to the personal touches added to the storyline.
Watchmen is a story about many things; one is about broken humans trying to save humanity.
Considered a dour take on the superhero genre, Snyder’s Watchmen felt grimy with moments of pure visual violence with a better ending. With Watchmen, he found a way to balance his trademark brash and bold storyline while harboring a more complex narrative beneath the surface. All this was done without compromising the challenging shades of gray captured by the comic book.
The flick continues to be a love-or-hate proposition even a decade later, and also Zack Snyder’s finest example of balancing his uncompromising style with genuine substance.
Watchmen is available to stream on Netflix.
In addition to all his great initial work, Zack Snyder has delivered movies like Man of Steel, Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and more through the years.
Readers can catch his latest movie, Army of the Thieves, now streaming on Netflix.
Note: This article reflects the author’s views.
