The Killer – A Wonderfully Immersive Assassin Thriller

David Fincher is easily one of the best directors working today but his work behind the camera as of late has been sparse. As with most things, absence makes the heart grow fonder therefore the announcement of his latest, The Killer, was received with plenty of hype from film fans worldwide. Not quite a remake of the 1989 John Woo film of the same name, this film is based on the comic series by Alexis Nolent and Luc Jacamon and also follows a spiraling assassin. From the get go, Fincher puts his mark on the film as, despite its subject matter, he delivers one of the most immersive experiences in recent memory. In what was a strong collaboration across the board, starting at the top with Fincher and trickling down from the script, cinematography, editing, production design, sound design and score, and a magnetic lead performance from Michael Fassbender, it stays grounded as it guides audiences on a journey from the precise perspective of its titular assassin. Equal parts tense and compelling, the film is an interesting take on the thriller genre that is also surprisingly funny. However, this cerebral character study isn’t exactly as action-packed as some may expect and that combination may not be for everyone.

As mentioned, The Killer follows an unnamed assassin (Fassbender) whose perfectly-constructed and regimented life is turned upside down after his latest hit goes bad. His professional philosophy was to focus on the job and remain detached from the circumstances surrounding each hit. He simply completed his latest assignment and moved on, however, there was something different about this latest hit. Missing his target, he quickly faced blowback that forced him to target those who threatened him. Armed with his special set of skills and expertise, the film takes audiences directly into his mind and inner thoughts and is mostly driven by a series of deep and entertaining internal monologues featuring various musings about life as an assassin and dry commentary about the world around him. Playing against assassin tropes, it uses those monologues to help set up a different kind of assassin and one whose depth made him that much more fascinating to watch. While not a larger-than-life character, his ability to blend in the background sets him apart and though he may not seem as threatening, one would not want to be in his crosshairs.

Taking his mantras on a new mission that went against his personal ideology, the assassin would soon find out that life doesn’t always work the same way as it does in his analytical mind. Essentially a revenge story, seeing him reconcile with that contrasting world view as he systematically went up the ladder and started to get his revenge was satisfying as it became easy to sympathize with him and his point of view in spite of who he is and what he represents. Separated by chapters, the story saw the assassin travel around the world from one locale to the next, going from one target to the next. That being said, though it progressed in a kind of straightforward way, the chapters themselves were intense and brutal at times but also methodical as they put the assassin to the test. The best chapter saw him go toe-to-toe with a woman known as “The Expert” (Swinton) whose own hilarious perspective truly stood out. When all was set and done, the more engaging part of the film was the assassin’s growth as a character than the revenge element.

The precision for which the cold and calculated assassin operated was matched by the film on a technical level. Framing every aspect from his perspective is how The Killer puts a different spin on the thriller genre but this level of immersion was a true collaboration between nearly every department. Putting audiences in his world and having them see things from his eyes, follow along with how he operates, and feel what he feels. Doing most of that work is some impeccable sound design and score that each work together to set the tone and bring the film’s world to life, carrying it from start to finish as audiences are on the edge of their seats.

At the end of the day, The Killer would not have worked without Fassbender and his magnetic performance as the titular killer. Turning off his charm and basically becoming an emotionless empty slate is especially challenging with the physicality needed to lead a film structured with less pure dialogue, but he was up for that challenge. Though he plays a character who does bad things, the assassin is still an easy character to connect to in a strange way. Appearing in every scene, other characters merely ebb and flow in and out. While Parnell makes the most of his time as “The Lawyer,” Swinton delivers a scene-stealing performance as “The Expert” and her chemistry with Fassbender makes their chapter the best.

Overall, The Killer is a phenomenal dismantling of the thriller genre offering an immersive ride led by a magnetic Michael Fassbender.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.