The Killer, released to Netflix on November 10th, is directed by David Fincher and stars Michael Fassbender. Rounding out the somewhat minimal cast are Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, and Arliss Howard. The film follows a professional hitman after a job goes wrong. When those he cares about the most are threatened, he embarks on a path of vengeance. This may seem like your typical action movie formula that has been used in action films such as John Wick (2014) or Death Wish (1974), but under the capable hands of director David Fincher, The Killer effectively elevates that formula. What’s interesting about the main character (known only as “The Killer”) is that throughout the film he insists that his path of revenge isn’t personal, it’s more of a matter of principle. This premise is consistently challenged in varying ways throughout the film, leaving the audience to ask the question: What’s the difference? Contrary to first glance, the film may seem to be more of an action or crime thriller. The film is actually an extremely nuanced character study of a truly cold, calculated, and violent human being.

Normally following this type of character would just make a viewer uneasy, but Fincher and Fassbender are able to toe the line perfectly. The Killer character presents himself as infallible and he truly believes this. The film often challenges this premise with unforeseen circumstances or unavoidable mistakes that often disrupt The Killer’s meticulously laid plans. He would never admit this within dialogue, but we see it on the face of Fassbender. It makes the character endearing in a way that’s akin to a tough guy admitting he likes something that’s a bit sensitive. Instead of thinking that person is lesser for liking something less-than-tough, we actually endear ourselves to them because of the fact that they are imperfect like the rest of us. Fassbender gives a truly stunning and scary performance here, giving new layers to the character when we least expect it. The cinematography is as sharp as always and Fincher consistently finds interesting ways of framing otherwise mundane shots. Seeing as this is a film about an assassin, there is a clear tone of violence. That being said, the tracking and execution of his targets is spaced out well. The scenes of death are an effective gut-punch but sometimes feel so dark and detached that it borders on uncomfortable. 

The biggest issue with the film is that it has an undeniably barebones plot. Although the filmmaking and acting is top notch, the plot is nothing new. That being said, the dialogue continues to be consistently interesting, diving deep into nuances of the hitman lifestyle that I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, The Killer is another win from David Fincher. Although this definitely falls into the category of his darker films, it remains consistently entertaining throughout. Michael Fassbender gives one of his best performances with a role that plays to a lot of his strengths. I wouldn’t recommend this film to the faint of heart or even someone who expects big things in terms of plot complexity, but I would most certainly recommend it to any serious film buff or lover of dark material. If you fall into either of those two categories, The Killer is definitely an experience to check out. B