Review: The Killer

Words by Azrael Tay / Edited by Mia Stapleton

It has been three long years since David Fincher’s last theatrical feature, and moviegoing audiences around the globe have been eagerly anticipating the latest addition to his acclaimed filmography– one containing the likes of genre classic Se7en, cult favourite Fight Club, and the generation-defining The Social Network. With such lofty heights to reach, it is no surprise that The Killer slightly misses its mark.

The Killer is portrayed by Michael Fassbender, an unnamed, stone-cold contract assassin who operates by a strict, meticulous code of conduct. When a job goes awry, the killer is forced to go on the run and eventually exact his own brand of vengeance upon those who have wronged him.

Film lovers craving the technical mastery that David Fincher’s films usually possess will not leave disappointed. As with most of his other features, the entirety of The Killer feels almost scientifically engineered. Fincher is a perfect fit to helm a study of such an obsessively detail-oriented character since he himself has such a perfectionist reputation when it comes to directing. Every scene, sequence, and segment of The Killer is perfectly structured and edited, the momentum engineered to induce a visceral reaction at the apex of every chapter of the film’s story. Erik Messerschmidt, Fincher’s director of photography previously Oscar-nominated for his work on Mank (2020), lenses a gorgeous criminal underworld where the shadows and silhouettes speak more volumes than the characters themselves.

In terms of the narrative, the eponymous, unnamed killer is a singularly unique central character for Fincher and his lead talent to tackle. Michael Fassbender turns in a subdued performance that gives his acting chops time to shine whenever he lets his hardened exterior reveal just a hint of vulnerability beneath. Besides the fact that both Fincher and the killer share a penchant for purposeful precision, Fincher has found many creative ways to continuously juxtapose the killer’s occupational code with the reality of the situations he finds himself in. 

The result is entertaining at the very least, but a lot of the substance here is cold and distant even compared to the rest of Fincher’s filmography. Audience members who seek connection with the narrative or characters, even to the degree that one would understand Jesse Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg or empathise with Benjamin Button, probably can not justify spending the price of a movie ticket on a film this deliberately alienating. That said, it also feels like a disservice to dump The Killer on a streaming service like Netflix when the big screen is unequivocally where it belongs. 

Ultimately, your mileage may vary, but The Killer is still worth a watch– especially theatrically– if you are interested in the latest from one of the great directors of 21^st– century American cinema.

The Killer is now showing in select theatres, and will release on Netflix November 10.

Photo Credit: Netflix