The Killer (2023)

Enjoyable Thriller - The Killer review by GI

Slow burning, stylish noir thriller with Michael Fassbender as a samurai like assassin forced onto a journey of revenge when a 'hit' goes wrong. Cold and professional hitmen litter the cinematic world from Alain Delon in Le Samourï (1967) to Tom Cruise in Collateral (2004) and here we have a philosophical killer who narrates his life all the while trying to convince himself he's not breaking his own rules. The film starts quite slowly with the assassin holed up in an office with a sniper rifle patiently waiting for his target to appear. When, despite all his careful preparations, the job goes suddenly awry he finds he becomes the target and he calmly and ruthlessly tracks down everyone involved, globe trotting from Paris to the Dominican Republic to USA in order to do so. There's some brutal violence along the way. It's all totally absurd but strangely compelling basically because Fassbender and director David Fincher approach the film with absolute conviction and create a certain disquiet as we follow the killer on his mission. And the great Tilda Swinton supports and consequently it makes for a rather enjoyable experience.

Beautiful filmmaking from Fincher, matching Fassbender's perfect performance - The Killer review by Timmy B

When you watch a David Fincher picture, you know exactly what you'll be getting production-wise. The best metaphor I can use to describe them is a Swiss-watch level of precision. Silky smooth cinematography, seamless cuts, pitch-perfect sound and a beautifully realised world. The man has made several iconic films in the form of Seven, Fight Club and Panic Room, and we are now back with a mesmeric & detailed character study in The Killer. Everything you know and love about Fincher is present, teaming up with Michael Fassbender for a look at the cold world of the contract killer.

The Killer (Fassbender) is a hitman who is at the elite level in his field. When he is on a job, his entire focus & thoughts are on the task at hand. However, after a career of perfection, he misses a crucial shot and then becomes the hunted. We follow him as he hunts down those attempting to kill him, jetting all over the globe.

From the opening moments, this film grabs you. We get a front-row seat to what it takes to be a hitman, watching as the unnamed Killer meditates, grabs micro sleeps, practices yoga and hear his stream-of-conscious inner voice reciting his mantras whilst he stakes out his target. It is a horribly addicting look at contract killing. As with so many of these types of films, the killer's ethos/code is central to his character development, so when things go wrong and they have to fight back, you start to see the real & fallible human they are.

Fassbender's work is extraordinary. I first got a glimpse of his "physical" acting and ability to convey so much with none/very few words in Shame, still to me his best performance. And whilst the protagonist here could so easily be a soulless cypher with only 2 expressions, Fassbender makes him a fascinating Rubik's cube. And the supporting players also bring their A-games, including a wonderful Tilda Swinton, doing incredible work with 10 minutes of screen time.

But whilst much of the narrative takes place in dingy building sites or in a variety of vans/aeroplanes, there is also an incredibly choreographed & bone-crunchingly violent fight when the Killer is caught off-guard. This is a Jason Bourne level of combat, but not sanitised for a 12A rating. It is also in parts extremely funny, due to the fact neither assassin wants to be heard and for the police to be called.

The technical achievements here are wonderful as well. I re-watched Panic Room recently and was reminded of just how incredible Fincher shoots, especially the camera movement & tracking. And this continues in The Killer. The camera moves in ways you marvel at, that would leave Scorsese breathless. The sound design, especially when watching using headphones, is also flawless.

If there is a fly in the ointment, hence the 4 star rating, it is due to the ending, which has itself been the source of some controversy with viewers and reviewers. Obviously I'm not going to spoil it, but quite simply it makes no sense. And the film then just ends abruptly, leaving you going "Eh?" Whilst it could deliberately be Fincher doing a rug-pull, challenging us as the viewer, it just leaves you scratching your head slightly.

But as a whole, the film is incredible. I loved being in the world that was created, and special mention must go out to Atticus Ross & Trent Reznor for a brilliant soundtrack. I just hope that this entire team gets back together again soon to produce more incredible work.