The Killer

by Philip Price

Photo: Netflix

Director: David Fincher
Starring: Michael Fassbender & Tilda Swinton
Rated: R (strong violence & language)
Runtime: 1 hour & 58 minutes

​There is little room for elaboration in David Fincher's latest in which he both does what we (and he) knows he does best while simultaneously subverting what we thought he might do with a project called “The Killer.”

Though unfamiliar with Alexis 'Matz' Nolent's 2018 graphic novel I couldn't help but wonder if what attracted Fincher and “Se7en” screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker to the project was how it played with the mundanities of what is imagined to be a high-stakes, high-tension line of work or if the novel played it more straight allowing the writer/director duo the opportunity to latch onto this aspect and run with it. Either way, Fincher and Walker have leaned into the absurdities of what being a hit man entails, specifically in the 21st century ("Who needs a Trojan horse when you have postmates?") and are able to walk a satirical line with the material that might not be as serious or earnest as some expect but is just as interesting if not more fascinating.

Not knowing what tone or variety of ideas the novel brings to the table, it's interesting to see what the film version latches onto given from moment one we are dropped into the mind of Michael Fassbender's titular character who is preparing for a hit in Paris. This and each of the subsequent chapters detail both the precision and meticulous nature this guy demonstrates when it comes to his job as contrasted by the glib way in which he thinks about and comments on it. The majority of the film is interior monologue and it is from Fassbender's musings and thoughts on his line of work, how it has changed over time, and how he believes he handles/is handling what is required of him that Fincher highlights the ridiculous situations and behavior this character must resort to in order to keep his own life secure while recognizing how much this seems to mirror his own process and tendencies. It's not a one to one comparison, but the high level at which both the film and its main character execute their given tasks coupled with its examination of where we find pleasure in life and how we continue to peruse those highs even if that means putting ourselves through hell in order to obtain them make this what is possibly Fincher's most personal film to date and likely the closest thing to an autobiography we'll ever see from him.