The Killer
Empathy is weakness
The Killer (2023) begins with a quiet, methodical intensity. A man waits in an unrenovated Parisian office, doing everything he can to stay alert in the face of intense boredom. He is watching the hotel across the street, waiting to see the man he means to kill. While he waits, he exercises, eats, and moralizes. Moralizes in some sense, anyway. Every sound, shadow, and breath is perfectly calibrated to build tension. And then, when something goes awry, the rules start to falter. Directed by the masterful David Fincher, the film immerses us in the hyper-focused world of an anonymous professional assassin (played by Michael Fassbender) who lives by an obsessive code of discipline and detachment. In true Fincher fashion, the simplicity is an entry point into a labyrinth of precision, moral ambiguity, and psychological unraveling.
Fassbender’s killer operates by a set of mantras—“Stick to the plan,” “Don’t improvise,” “Trust no one.” These rules serve as both a survival guide and a coping mechanism for his isolated existence. Fincher’s direction is as precise as ever, and this movie is viewed by many as his unofficial autobiographical work. One wonders if Fincher ever repeated these mantras to himself, as The Killer does feel like it maps well to a career in showbiz. Fincher’s ups and downs aren’t exactly secrets, as he hasn’t been shy in talking about them. (See his entry-point: Alien Cubed.) Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.
The film’s visual style, marked by sharp compositions, muted colors, and shadows that linger, creates an atmosphere of unease. Fincher’s longtime collaborator Jeff Cronenweth handles the cinematography, ensuring every frame feels like a meticulously arranged photograph. The soundtrack, scored by more of Fincher’s longtime collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, is another standout. It’s a pulsing, electronic backdrop that mirrors the protagonist’s mechanical mindset. Fincher also peppers the film with anachronistic needle drops, including a recurring motif of The Smiths, which, if you’re familiar with The Smiths, adds some unsubtle thematic juice to the killer’s existence.
While The Killer has its moments of action—brutal, efficient, and unflinching—it’s not an action movie. The violence is sparing but impactful, and the film is more interested in exploring the mundane aspects of the killer’s work: waiting, planning, and surviving in the cracks between the chaos. This approach may test your patience if you’re looking for standard action fare, but if you’re willing to sit with the approach, the rewards are rich. The film is a series of vignettes, each an exercise in tension and release. It’s also an exercise in some of the darkest humor I’ve ever seen committed to film. The killer’s journey takes him from city to city—each location presented with an eye for texture and detail. Along the way, he encounters a stellar cast of morally dubious characters, including Tilda Swinton’s “The Expert,” in what feels like a nod to her Oscar-winning performance in Michael Clayton (2007).
Like many of Fincher’s films, The Killer is a study in contrasts. It’s sleek and gritty, detached and emotional, methodical and chaotic. It doesn’t ask us to sympathize with its protagonist (he is clearly not a good guy), but it dares us to understand him. In the end, it’s less about the mechanics of murder and more about the psychology of the man behind the gun. Fincher works with preciseness to execute a vision and then disappears. The killer is no different. If you’ve ever wondered how somebody might kill and disappear, The Killer has some ideas.
The Killer
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker; Directed by David Fincher
2023
118 minutes
English
Recommended way to watch (at time of publication): Streaming on Netflix
You’ll like this if you like: Drive (2011), Collateral (2004), No Country for Old Men (2007)