The Killer

David Fincher is my favourite filmmaker, so any time a new film of his gets announced, I am understandably excited. So I naturally was highly anticipating The Killer, even after the consensus emerged that it was a lower-tier Fincher flick. However, while The Killer isn’t quite as good as it could have been, there is still a lot to love about it. Michael Fassbender brings a lot to his character despite our protagonist being somewhat of a blank slate. The lack of characterization in the writing isn’t inherently a problem, as this film isn’t a character piece as much as it is an exploration and deconstruction of the assassin film subgenre. Additionally, while I don’t entirely agree with the assessment that The Killer is a comedy, there are the occasional scenes or moments that are played with a dry humour that I appreciated.

Unlike our protagonist, this film is completely aware and 100% in control of what it is doing in regards to its structure and story framing. The film shows a lot of the mundane nature of this job, and though that may not be to everyone’s taste, I found these inclusions far more interesting than simply having a character go through the motions of a typical assassin story. This film isn’t trying to show you how cool or interesting this career is. Instead, it is showcasing how dull and pathetic it can be as we follow Fassbender’s character completing mundane tasks and just going about his day.

Almost all of The Killer is set up for a final payoff, which is what allows us to see the mundanity of an occupation that is often glamourized. In that sense, the choice to have a new chapter title card every now and then felt unnecessarily avant-garde. However, it’s not like the whole film is dominated by the monotonous day to day. In fact, it has some explosive moments that juxtapose wonderfully with the far more quiet ones. 

Speaking of the final payoff, there is a big fight scene towards the end of the film that was built up for me prior to seeing it. And believe me, it is worth the hype. The fight is not cleanly structured or crafted, but it makes up for this tenfold with its exceptional choreography. I know films like John Wick are praised for the way that their fight scenes are crafted, but those feel too sterile to be anywhere near as engaging as a raw, brutal, and messy fight. This film limits itself action-wise, and that’s to its benefit.

As this is a David Fincher film, you can expect that this film is immaculately well-crafted. Fincher is a perfectionist in the truest sense of the word, and though his films may vary in writing and acting quality, each one remains expertly directed. The pacing and plotting of this film feel so deliberate, as Fincher lets you soak in the atmosphere and the shots. The score and cinematography are also incredible. The sound design is some of the best in any of Fincher’s films, juxtaposing this incredibly dull ringing noise with the introduction of new sounds and the music of the Smiths. Meanwhile, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross always knock it out of the park with their scores, and this film is no exception! Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography is excellent, going from these beautiful, long, wide takes to these purposeful closeups. When you combine all of this excellence with great editing, you are left with an experience you can only ever get from a David Fincher film.

The Killer isn’t David Fincher’s most accessible film, and it will certainly rub a lot of audiences the wrong way. However, this is one of those films that I was just on the exact same wavelength on. If this is the start of David Fincher experimenting more with his films, bring it on!

8/10