Hmm, a tough choice.
I'm a big fan of Darren Aronofsky fan and have pretty much enjoyed his entire filmography, including his 2006 film The Fountain which probably sits as his least favourite movie.
David Fincher is pretty much cemented in the American culture as the type of guy who could make Fight Club work so well. His filmography is also pretty memorable and critically acclaimed, which is saying a lot considering his first film is Alien 3.
So both movies are directed by probably two of the most potent big name Hollywood talents right now, and both come from novels also written by guys who have written a lot of stuff you and I really like, and I think that's a good place to start to judge these two movies.
So we'll start with Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr. which is a book I read at the exact same time as Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, which both deal with the subjects of heroin addiction. I could understand where Selby Jr. was coming from by making a really dark book about the horrors of addiction, I mean that's a serious subject and should be taken seriously. Conversely, Trainspotting's take on addiction is just as tragic, but Welsh thankfully adds in some levity, albeit in incredibly dark ways, and I think there's a lot of really good social commentary. I was reading these two books at the same time and it was Trainspotting that came away the winner, I even ended up selling my copy of Requiem for a Dream because it depressed me that much.
Chuck Palahniuk is another talented writer of a lot of things and he too approaches social issues in a unique manner. With Fight Club being his debut novel, it really lit a lot of people up to have it made into a movie so fast that stays true to the nature of the novel. I happen to agree with many others when I say I prefer the movie's ending, but I can see why people also prefer the book's ending. It's been awhile since I've read the novel, and while I liked it, it didn't ever stay with me the way the movie did, so I also think this is one of those rare circumstances where the movie is better than the novel.
With some of that context, when putting Requiem for a Dream next to Fight Club and asking me which one I want to watch, I'll pick Fight Club every time. Like with the book, I can at least respect what Requiem for a Dream wants to do, but it's not something I think I need to see more than once. It's on close to the same level as The Deer Hunter for me on my list of movies I don't think I need to see more than once.
Fight Club - 2
Requiem for a Dream - 1
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