For many David Fincher fans, his late-2020 Netflix original Mank did not satisfy those looking for the director’s signature brand of grit. Perhaps that is why The Killer goes so far back in the other direction, with the film sitting comfortably next to Se7en, Fight Club, and Gone Girl. Though it’s not Fincher’s finest, there’s apt reason for all the hype surrounding The Killer.
The Killer Plot Summary
A stoic, elite assassin, meticulous and emotionless, suddenly finds himself up against his kind after he uncharacteristically makes a mistake. Though he insists to himself that he is just taking care of business, the killer must reconcile with his very existence as he exacts his revenge.
The Return of Michael Fassbender
Fans of Irish actor Michael Fassbender were left high and dry after his final appearance as Magneto in Dark Phoenix in 2019. His acting hiatus luckily ended this year, with both The Killer and Next Goal Wins being released in November. Fassbender’s presence on the small screen in the former is as enrapturing as ever.
With little on-screen dialogue from the main character, The Killer relies primarily on Fassbender’s silent intensity, making violent moments even more impactful as the film progresses. Fassbender’s voice fills the aural space with insistent, nearly meditative voice-over narration, the one drawback for viewers who find this trope tired and overdone. The visuals are as dark and muddy as Fincher’s signature films, making even the high-class assassin world feel as ugly as the core of its characters.
Michael Fassbender in ‘The Killer’
While The Killer marks a return to Fincher’s typical mode of filmmaking, the new slow-burning thriller does not completely reinvent or universally capture the director’s best work. Not as broadly appealing as The Social Network nor as harshly fearless as his previous Andrew Kevin Walker collaboration Se7en, The Killer would easily rank below these films and likely his other cinephile-appeasing successes. However, most fans will still appreciate The Killer for some of Fincher’s most identifiable work, with each new sequence capitalizing on a nearly consistent vision for the various locales.
The Verdict on The Killer
Fincher and Fassbender’s separate work in the past has led to distinct, devoted fanbases, so seeing the two together for the first time in a film is a joy unto itself as both put in excellent work. While neither camp will find that these famous filmmakers deliver their best work here, they give everything in their arsenal and, in turn, satisfy their established fans and newcomers. Walker’s thoughtful script seals the deal with his absorbing look into the killer’s mind, so The Killer is not one to miss from the obsessive film community.
The Killer is streaming now on Netflix.
