The Killer

The Killer

Released November 10, 2023

Directed by David Fincher

* No Spoilers *

David Fincher is an iconic and prolific director. His work is instantly recognizable due to his unique signature style. Whether it’s Fight Club, Se7en, or The Social Network you know you are in for a moody, gritty, and textured experience. Fincher’s latest film, The Killer, follows an assassin played by Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Steve Jobs) through a series of harrowing missions blurring the line between professional and personal. The screenplay is based on a French graphic novel of the same name and is brought to life oozing with Fincher’s aesthetic. 

The story is structured into chapters, each feeling like a self contained mission with its own objectives. Each part takes on it’s own distinct tone, with a new aesthetic, different setting, and goal. Just like the main character, the plot moves with clear, sanitized, and expert efficiency. This compartmentalization feels clinical and methodical and I love how it mirrors the proclivities of the assassin.

Similarly, the majority of this movie is narrated from inside the mind of our protagonist. The Killer doesn’t speak much with other characters, but he is in a constant inner monologue, discussing how he aspires to operate with calculating precision. He repeatedly recites his rules as a mantra or code, espousing a Darwinian philosophy not only of his job but of his life. It’s like listening to a university lecture or self help audio book on how to be an assassin. The narration is the perfect way to dive into the mind of this character as he monotonously expresses his expertise with a gravely and meandering but directed path. What makes this ongoing narration even better is how it rarely breaks. He is always disciplined and calm but it often doesn’t match what is occurring on screen. He is talking about how to execute with perfect precision, but his own words are being ironically subverted when we are shown things not going according to plan. 

The opening chapter is incredible in how uses this monologue to lead us to the end of that sequence. I won’t spoil it but you will know exactly what I mean. There is a moment where things turn silent, the action progresses and the inner monologue shifts in mood punctuated by a perfectly placed expletive. The introduction sets up the tone of the movie perfectly.

As much as I enjoy seeing James Bond use clever gadgets, the Killer does his job without the use of anything fictional or futuristic. Everything he uses is easily accessible and it’s a bit disturbing how mundane it feels. Anyone could acquire and use the tools of his trade. When he needs to enter a locked building he takes a picture of the lock, reverse image searches on Google, orders the correct commercially available ID copier off Amazon, and picks it up at a public delivery locker. As simple as that. No agency providing him with access to advanced technology, no top secret database of information, just an independent contractor acquiring the supplies for his job though the same channels available to any member of the public. It’s a unsettling look at the efficiency of the modern world where anything you want can be acquired with a few taps on a screen. 

All of this harkens back to an underlying theme of the movie, its critique of the unbalance between the few and the many. The movie mentions several brands, from McDonalds to AirBnB, not to glorify or advertise them, but to expose the dispassionate and cold machinery of business. Our protagonist is focused on maximizing output, not being flashy. He remains detached, dispassionate, and reminds us that empathy is weakness. Where the assignments are coming from and why people are being assassinated is brushed aside as irrelevant to the business. For the one carrying it out, the reason doesn’t matter, to them it’s just a job, like any other. The assassin is not there to take sides or waste time with a cause, he is not idealogical, he is economic. This theme is presented so well with the main character as he himself is a walking contradiction. He thinks he should be a dispassionate tool, machine-like and robotic, but he is constantly struggling against being a human, convincing himself with an inner pep talk that he doesn’t seem to really believe.

Michael Fassbender’s performance is critical to making this work. His narration is dry, gravelly, and clinical but you can see the fear, and honest humanity in his eyes. His physical performance is equally methodical, moving with precision and efficiency, never wasting any energy on unnecessary movement. The movie makes a point to show his impeccable physical conditioning, from shots of him doing yoga poses, to the repeating beep of his heart rate monitor. Fassbender is a master and his ability to emote on multiple levels with contradictory complexity is truly impressive. There are other characters in the movie but it is so centrally focused on him that it relies on his talents to keep the audience invested. Tilda Swinton (Okja, The Chronicles of Narnia) has a minor supporting role and she exudes the usual scene stealing confidence she is known for.  I got so used to spending time with Fassbender alone that when we got a scene where these two shared a conversation it immediately revealed how conflicted he is. 

Visually this is completely in line with Fincher’s previous work. Dimly lit, yellow toned, and full of that signature texture. A lot of the movie occurs at night and the way it plays with lighting is incredible. One scene takes places in a Florida beach house, lit by the epileptic flickering of a TV screen and the glowing flames outside. This location has a fantastic action scene with The Brute, played by Sala Baker. The violence is intense but a lot of it is shown in shadowy silhouette. You hear the thuds of The Brute’s footsteps and there is a camera shake effect that makes every blow feels like it’s doing real damage. The violence is messy, desperate, and visceral. Definitley one of the most memorable and visually striking parts of the movie.

Fincher loves partnering with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network, Gone Girl) to compose the music for his films. They have become part of what makes a modern Fincher film and this time is no different.  Industrial and mechanical sounds are classic hallmark of Reznor’s work since the Nine Inch Nails days and here it’s paired with electronic jitters and pulses. Providing that gritty and textured feel to the soundscape. The synthesized and atmospheric score does so much more than just add music. For example the track that plays during The Brute fight is more sound effect than music. The creaks, cracks, thuds, and destruction in the house are punctuated by the synthesized score. It blurs the line between music and foley, and this isn’t the only time where the score does this. 

This movie is a brilliant example of medium matching message. The way the story is told is so coherent with the narrative it’s telling that even on a subconscious level you will have a deeper understanding of it’s themes. I was lucky to have watched this during its limited theatrical release, but since it is a Netflix film I’ve gone back to rewatch several key scenes. It’s amazing to see how consistent the film is on multiple levels, embodying its theme and tone throughout. From the clinical and ongoing narration, the chapter based structure, soundtrack, and even Fassbender’s physical movements. Like the Killer himself, this film is methodical, calculating, and precise but with enough chaos to keep you immersed and ensnared. The way The Killer simultaneously presents itself with this duality is incredible. 

8/10 - David Fincher does it again, and I was left wondering how something can feel so constructed and clean but also chaotic and grimy at the same time. For me this was a must watch and another great film to add to the Fincher filmography! It’s available to stream on Netflix now and if you aren’t yet convinced, check out the opening scene (you’ll likely be hooked and keep going)

---