The Killer

UK Release Date. 5 October 2023
Certification. R
Running Time. 1 hour 58 mins
Director. David Fincher
Cast. Sala Baker, Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Kerry O'Malley, Charles Parnell, Tilda Swinton.
Rating. 80%

Review.

For the past decade, David Fincher has primarily been involved with projects for television, as the executive producer and occasional director of series such as House of Cards, Mindhunter and Love, Death & Robots. The only two films he directed in the past decade were Mank (2020) and Gone Girl (2014). But now, Fincher returns with his twelfth feature film, The Killer. Produced primarily for the streaming service, Netflix, and with a planned release date of 10 November 2023, I caught a limited theatrical screening at The Glasgow Film Theatre on Saturday night.

The film is based on the French graphic novel series (of the same name) written by Alexis Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon.

In many ways, The Killer is exactly what you would expect from a David Fincher film about a contract killer - a detail-rich procedural piece about the life of an unnamed assassin (Michael Fassbender), who is forced to take drastic action as his calculated world implodes following a failed assassination attempt. The director's obvious passion for this project is present in every frame as Fincher once again returns to themes that have long interested him - obsession, perfection and violence.

Fincher has been aided by several of his most accomplished collaborators, 

• Screenplay writer, Andrew Kevin Walker worked with Fincher previously on Se7en
• Director of Photography, Erik Messerschmidt worked with Fincher on Mank and Gone Girl
• Editor, Kirk Baxter has worked with Fincher on several projects including Mank, Gone Girl,The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
• Composers, Trent Reznor and Atticus Rose have worked with Fincher on Mank, Gone Girl,The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network

All would seem to have invested the same meticulous perfectionism as the notoriously detailed filmmaker, and the result is an extremely well-executed production.

The film opens with a lengthy voiceover scene as we observe Fassbender's assassin on a stakeout in Paris. In this character-defining prologue, Fincher establishes the pace - nothing is rushed. It is deliberate, considered and focused. "Stick to the plan. Trust no one. Anticipate, don't improvise. Fight only the battle you are paid to fight." These mantras afford the audience a glimpse into the mind of the main character.

In essence, The Killer is a linear, revenge thriller. A storyline that superficially resembles retribution, but one that offers no redemption. At no point, does Fincher evoke any sympathy for Fassbender's hitman. He is simply irredeemable. 

There's a spectacular hand-to-hand, bone-crunching melee in a ramshackle Florida property, which is impeccably choreographed, and edited, to the point where it is impossible to avert your eyes from the action.

The Killer follows in the tradition of films such Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai, Anton Corbijn's The American and Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant. Mundane, yet thrilling. An intriguing return to form from David Fincher.