“Anticipate, don’t improvise.” This is one of the many mantras belonging to Michael Fassbender’s unnamed hitman in The Killer, David Fincher’s latest feature and an adaptation of Alexis Nolent’s French graphic novel of the same name. As our protagonist repeats these words of wisdom through the smooth monotone of Fassbender’s American Psycho-esque voiceover, one cannot help but think Fincher is using his latest protagonist as an unconscious mouthpiece.
Fincher is known for a style as calculated as his characters: limited handheld photography, precise blocking and framing, razor-sharp editing on beats of dialogue. Every detail is accounted for with, literally, no room to improvise, and the titular contract killer is in the same boat. From the clothes he wears to the music he listens to, the killer’s routine is meticulous and unwavering.
The film begins with Fassbender’s character staking out at a luxury Paris hotel. After days of waiting, his next target is in his sights. As he assembles his gun, we hear his mantras again. “Trust no one. Yield no advantage.” He has it all down to a science, so it comes as quite a shock when, after finally getting a perfect shot after days of waiting, he misses.
Thus begins a dangerous fallout that brings Fassbender’s character back home to find his house raided and his wife brutally attacked. The killer goes on a revenge mission, tracking down the parties responsible and leaving no stone unturned. It’s a simple but effective premise that sees the killer’s need for control challenged at every turn; watching stone-cold social anomalies attempt to reconcile that kind of dissonance is what Fincher does best, making this a welcome return to form after 2020’s disappointingly dull Mank.
Though any fan of the beloved director can see many of his tried-and-true techniques on display, never before has a Fincher film dared to get its hands dirty in its contradictions. When the killer returns to his home, cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt – a frequent Fincher collaborator – employs handheld camerawork to convey the killer’s frantic state.
Later in the film is a fight scene that may be Fincher’s most brutal, bringing its characters to their limits with unpredictable, no-holds-barred fight choreography and stunt work. It sits in stark contrast to the killer’s introduction, so isolated and strict that it borders on mundane. Fassbender’s entire character is a living dichotomy, a stone-cold killer with zero emotional output that still makes hilariously incisive jabs about Equinox and Wordle. He has zero tolerance for empathy, yet his motivations are out of love and protection.
All of this juxtaposition is what makes the film so deliciously entertaining. Beyond a hilariously witty screenplay that makes the film surprisingly laugh-a-minute, watching the killer repeatedly sacrifice his standards consistently raises the already exciting stakes. You never quite know what he will have to do next, but you do know that he will always find a way to do it. Amidst all of this, Fincher never loses sight of his airtight plot structure, brisk pacing, and precise storytelling. Through every coldly colored frame, Fincher details every single step in the killer’s methodical process.
The film is also heightened by a strong, if limited, supporting cast, including consistently talented players like Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) and Tilda Swinton (Asteroid City). Each character is well-realized no matter the amount of screen time, but they also allude to the larger world of The Killer, filled with various unspoken understandings and different assassins who abide by them (or don’t). While franchises like John Wick feel the need to exploit its vast array of characters for repeated entries, Fincher keeps all of his world-building ancillary but still tantalizing.
The Killer intentionally keeps us at arm’s length of its protagonist’s inner world, including any form of backstory. While this does aid in the film’s mystery, it also hampers the character’s arc. In the film’s larger exploration of his motivation, it never truly gets to the heart of the emotional conflict, even if a lengthy monologue from Swinton tiptoes toward it.
Much of it comes down to the killer’s romantic partner (Sophie Charlotte); despite the plot being fueled by her, she is seen only briefly and has little dialogue. We never learn the specifics of their relationship or any of their shared experiences, not even by the film’s end. Though this keeps the plot streamlined, it sacrifices clarity. This is especially transparent in the film’s final moments, a rushed finale that leaves things open-ended in a way that doesn’t feel psychologically earned.
Like the killer, it appears Fincher’s own perfectly laid plan fell to a few traps in the end. That doesn’t spoil the rest of the ride, however, a captivating thriller that is one of the year’s best.
The Killer played as part of the Spotlight section at the 2023 New York Film Festival. The film will debut in select theaters on October 27, 2023, ahead of a worldwide streaming release on November 10, 2023, courtesy of Netflix.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs1epO_zLG8]
Despite a disappointing finale, David Fincher is doing what he does best in another stylish, slick, and precise thriller.
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Larry Fried is a filmmaker, writer, and podcaster based in New Jersey. He is the host and creator of the podcast “My Favorite Movie is…,” a podcast dedicated to helping filmmakers make somebody’s next favorite movie. He is also the Visual Content Manager for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization dedicated to competition and training opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Garden State.
