BE ADVISED – This movie can so easily go unnoticed for what it really is while you’re scrolling on Netflix on a quiet evening, so stay alert! Although the title and overall marketing assets may suggest this is another generic action romp that the streamer has produced, The Killer is actually the work of one of the few masters of suspense cinema we have left today: David Fincher, the successful filmmaker behind Seven (1995), Fight Club (1999) and The Social Network (2010).

After Mank was released in late 2020, the good but forgettable personal project with Netflix as a posthumous wink to his late father, the screenwriter Jack Fincher, the famous director is back in more familiar grounds found in some of his best work. In fact, this is most definitely his most conventional film from a narrative perspective where his technical skills remain so very much apparent. Amazing photography, a typical “Fincheresque” contrasted ambiance, a great performance from the lead character and both a phenomenal sound design and soundtrack – yup, this is Fincher in great form. Adapted from the French graphic novel of the same title written by Alexis Nolent, this is The Killer. Adjust the scope of your sniper rifle, and take the shot!

The synopsis of this film can be mistaken for so many more before it, and it’s definitely not what sets it apart. A nameless and meticulous hitman (Michael Fassbender, cold as ice) is sent on a job in Paris to eliminate a wealthy target. Patiently waiting for his prey to be in place at the perfect moment, the job goes sideways and he misses his mark. As a result of this failure, the assassin is forced to flee and goes off the grid, until he discovers that his most recent employers tried to have him killed by setting foot in his private life. Taking this very personally, the hitman will hunt down the “predators” up the food chain until he finds the ones responsible for this act of retribution against him.

So yeah…sounds familiar, doesn’t it? As I said, the story is not what makes this movie great and unique, but more so how the story is told above all else. Although I enjoy myself a good action flick, this one is delivered with artistic mastery, something that always gets me as I grow older.

First of all, kudos to Michael Fassbender, he’s perfect in this role! It’s hard not to expect greatness from him, the man is good in everything he touches. I personally recommend revisiting his performances in Shame (2011), X-Men: First Class (2011) and Prometheus (2012). It’s so good to have him back after a quick break from acting (his last film was in 2019), and he’s in spectacular form here, both for his physical and psychological presence. His eyes are so wide and expressive, which serve him great in a movie where he has barely any lines, apart from internal monologues that reflect his state of mind. As a performance where an imposing “physical” presence is needed, Fassbender makes a very convincing and realistic hitman.

The angle of how this assassin gets the job done is an interesting echo of Fincher’s own methodology as a director; a focus on meticulous preparation and logistics to maximize chances of success. In other words, most films in this genre only focus on the kill and the escape, whereas The Killer leans heavily into the banal aspects of the job and, more importantly, the mindset of a hired assassin operating alone.

Interestingly, our nameless hitman here is not portrayed as a disturbed individual, but actually more like Spock in the Star Trek universe. He’s a cold, calculated and logical professional who doesn’t seem to be very empathetic to others around him (which is needed for the job). The essential elements of a perfect murder are not around the “act of killing”, but rather the preparation, which is why the entire first act of the film focuses so much on the before and after of one assassination attempt…and that’s a very authentic angle! However brutal the act remains, Fincher makes it “grounded” in reality as we can actually believe that similar hitmen could exist in the real world as lone wolves lurking in the shadows without us noticing.

Although the story itself will surely be forgotten, the plot is segmented into chapters, almost like in a video game or a novel. In each chapter, the hitman meets with a “boss” or human element up the food chain in his journey for revenge, and a confrontation follows. Two chapters will be very memorable, one involving a violent hand-to-hand fight in Florida, and the second a simple conversation at a dinner table between Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton (brilliant scene for the ages) where they discuss the very nature of a killer. Unfortunately, I did find that the last act lost some steam, and the overall ending could have been a little stronger. See for yourself…

Of course, my favourite aspect in most David Fincher movies is also present here: the ambiance generated through lighting and sound choices. I always thought Fincher mastered his yellows and blues quite well, giving us the realistic feel of artificial lighting mixed with the blue lights from digital devices (as we find in contemporary homes late at night). He partnered once again with music composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, delivering us a beautiful, but chilling, electronic soundtrack. Same for the overall sound design, including a great sound mixing when the killer listens to the Smiths on his MP3 player.

It would be misguided to rank The Killer alongside Fincher’s finest films considering the narrative thrills are too simple and unoriginal to compete with his other films. However, the dark assassin tale is so beautiful to look at and listen to, that it’s hard not to like it. This is another example that proves to us that 2023 was a year where masters of the 7th art were busy at work, delivering us great and powerful films: Christopher Nolan with Oppenheimer, Great Gerwig with Barbie, Martin Scorsese with Killers of the Flower Moon, Ridley Scott with Napoleon and now David Fincher with The Killer.

One of the best movies of the year for me at this point, watch it on Netflix!

FINAL GRADE: 8.5/10