Something you rarely hear in regards to David Fincher is how his work has a way of existing inside a whirlpool, slowly spinning into an inevitably crushing revelation. The director’s early films, specifically Panic Room and The Game, were particularly apt at roping the viewer deep inside the narrative and controlling them through surprising twists and turns. Lately these moments have come in specific burst such as the Regatta Sequence in The Social Network and the matter of chance sequence in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What strikes me about House of Cards is how it seems to be a throwback to the director’s roots, again hypnotically lolling the audience into the shadows of contemporary politics.

Besides House of Cards being a groundbreaking event – for the first time an all digital-platform show will have the style, budget, and conceit of HBO and Showtime – but this project feature a filmmaker while he’s at the very top of his game. While feature directors turning to television is no longer rare, it is a treat to see such a hot director make the transition. As we can tell from the trailers, Fincher’s stamp will be all over this show. Make no mistake, this is a David Fincher experience through and through. Additionally, the show features a cast full of great actors overdue for a breakout success. Steven Soderbergh recently called the series, “The most beautiful thing you’ve seen on a screen.”

House of Cards lands only on Netflix this Friday, February 1st with 13 full episodes.