Perfection is a trait rarely attained, yet often sought after. The idea of perfection might even seem impossible when it comes to art; But there are a few filmmakers who have gotten close. Even fewer have succeeded, some on more than one occasion. David Fincher is one of those who have repeated the feat. At the very least, even in his rare misses, it’s something he’s clearly striven for. Regardless of our overall opinion on the final film, Fincher is a director with a very precise vision, and an even more exacting approach at achieving his specific goal. With his latest film, The Killer, we see his directorial style personified in that of the titular Killer. In a role both self-aware and hyper-critical, Michael Fassbender embodies that of a consummate professional. Treated to an extended monologue narrated over the rigorous lengths at which this assassin commits to his job, Fincher takes us inside the mind of a cold-blooded contract killer. Before we even see a weapon on screen, our understanding of Fassbender’s character is crystal-clear.
In Fincher’s film, there are no games to be played and no feelings to be had; he is a man who sticks to a job. Still, it’s clear that there is some method to the madness of all the mundane activities he finds himself doing to pass the time. Detailing specific metrics of daily mortality averages over yoga and The Smiths, The Killer is one that justifies his actions by way of nihilism. We’re first introduced to Fassbender’s Killer as he sits silently in a nondescript, abandoned “WeWork” office. This is a man who lives and works off-the-grid. Never having a phone for longer than one conversation, and never sticking to a persona for more than one day, he finds himself on the fringes of society. Even so, the capitalist cage of the present-day is something nobody can escape from. With sunken eyes, The Killer details those he observes as cogs in the machine. Time and time again, The Killer details why he believes he is in a separate category from everybody else. But he is just as much a cog as anybody he passes on the street. He orders his gear from the likes of Amazon and big box department stores. He fundamentally relies on the likes of McDonalds and Starbucks to sustain him. Even if he feels as if he is rebelling on the outskirts of the world, it’s impossible to escape the grasp of the system built around us all. In a world full of logos and corporations all inviting us in, it’s impossible to not fly towards the lit-up signs like a moth.
The Killer can be rather blunt in its delivery methods. But even though its thematic values are delivered via wordy monologues, the intricacies of the film shine bright. Reveling in the minutiae, The Killer will deviate from what we believe to be his core plan, only for those results to come back in brilliant manner a few scenes later. Sometimes, we’re not even shown the precaution taken being put into practice. It’s just there to remind us just how prepared this individual is for anything. And even with all that anticipating, The Killer still finds his life going awry. Fincher, a director who values perfection in his films above all else, might see more than just a bit of himself in this film. At one point, The Killer reminds the audience that it’s not his “position to form an opinion.” As a director, Fincher simply brings the world of a film together, and is in the same position as Fassbender’s robotic character. We may judge how he can simply shut the emotional part of his mind off for large chunks of time, but we do find ourselves celebrating the arrival of a new Fincher masterwork. In a field where one’s work, and oneself, is open to criticism of all kinds, there must be instances of a principled man understandably breaking his own code. Revealing even an ounce of emotion should be seen not as a failure of commitment, but as a reminder of what it means to be human and a part of society.
As entertaining and intriguing as The Killer is to view through the lens of Fincher examining his own career, it’s an equally taut thriller. Similar to the Jean-Pierre Melville masterwork, Le Samouraï, we rarely spend time away from our titular character. So much so, that in the few occasions where we aren’t hearing him narrate his every thought, the film practically plays out in silence. And it’s in these moments that the crisp sound design shines bright. A particularly brutal sequence in the third act feels as if giants have begun fighting among the world of humans. Each step, stomp and thrown body has the weight of stones behind it. Doors open to reveal a deafening diegetic sound. As audience members, it’s startling and effectively overpowering. Yet Fassbender’s Killer is unfazed as he goes about his business. It’s in the calm moments that we often see him on high alert. Whenever he stares out into the distance and appears to radically alter his plans, we only wonder what our untrained eyes may have missed. Fassbender’s brilliant performance borders on robotic, but it’s wholly effective. Each “break in his code” is as shocking as the last, before a full snap back to reality reminds us just how much humanity he is capable of. In a movie that wryly smiles through much of its runtime, The Killer has a coda that will force its audience to smile along with it.
The Killer is currently playing in select theaters, and is premiering globally on Netflix on November 10th, 2023.