Title – The Killer (2023) 

Director – David Fincher (Gone Girl) 

Cast – Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell

Plot – After a botched job, a nameless The Smith’s loving assassin for hire (Fassbender) who usually excels at perfect planning and execution, finds himself in unfamiliar territory and on a worldwide hunt for a those who now want him disposed of. 

“Anticipate, don’t improvise”

Review by Eddie on 15/11/2023

Fun isn’t a typical word you would use to describe a David Fincher film yet while still displaying his usual tendency for dark and ominous tones, brutal violence and world hating protagonists, Fincher’s newest directional outing The Killer is filled with far more fun than you’d initially expect as this darkly comedic assassin outing provides a rip-roaring good time. 

Teaming up once more with his Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, Fincher and his team adapt Alexis “Matz” Nolent cult graphic novel of the same name, creating a return to form for Fincher whose last Netflix outing was the disappointing Mank, with the esteemed filmmaker here having a blast exploring the whirlwind world of Michael Fassbender’s nameless hitman. 

As technically astute as you’d expect from a Fincher outing, The Killer is a sleekly produced and proficient thriller, delivered with a whip-smart sheen, from its smartly attuned editing, flawless sound design, memorable DOP work from Erik Messerschmidt  and moody score from regular Fincher collaborations Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Killer is a ride that never outstays its welcome and provides a quality time while it does it thing. 

While doing its carefully planned cinematic business, one of the most impressive and refreshing components of the film is the return to form of the films leading man Fassbender, who puts years of below par work behind him with a great turn as a narration happy killer who finds his life thrown upside down by a botched job. 

One of Hollywood’s very best when given the right material to work with, Fassbender is given a lot of weight to carry in Fincher’s darkly focused operation but from the moment we join Fassbender on a long-winded European stakeout that includes everything from the musings of death rates through to McDonalds, Fassbender is able to carry this weight with aplomb. 

Using his natural charisma when needed and showcasing his physicality in one of the years most memorable fight scenes, Fassbender is akin to a hitman for hire version of Dexter Morgan, a man who doesn’t understand the belief in human nature but comes face to face his own frailties and desires and while there’s not a lot of deepness to be explored in Fincher’s unfussy and baggage free feature, Fassbender ensures you’re always engaged by our nameless leads journey. 

Unquestionably lacking the varied layers of Fincher’s most revered works such as Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network or the undervalued Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Killer may be more simplistic than some will be desiring but this refreshingly polished Netflix original provides an often thrilling few hours of entertainment and proves once more that Fincher’s ability to craft meticulously designed features in mostly unparalleled. 

Making this a stand-out Netflix original amongst a range of otherwise lacking offerings. 

Final Say – 

Moving on from the disappointment of the cancelled Mindhunter series and the forgettable Mank, David Fincher and in-turn his leading man return to form with the fun, fast, unexpectedly pulpy and exciting The Killer.  

4 misused nail guns out of 5