The Killer: A Grounded, Grimy Antithesis To The James Bond, Ethan Hunt Archetype

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TO predict a David Fincher project is not unlike trying to predict the outcome of eating a six-day-old pizza after a night out of drinking cheap rum — a dice roll, a fool's errand. The veteran American director, with almost 40 years in the industry, has in the past followed the likes of Alien³ with Se7en, Zodiac with Benjamin Button, The Social Network with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, not to mention the television shows in between. While one can trace some recurring themes through his career, Fincher largely has avoided being boxed into categories like many of his other contemporaries. And with a notorious attention to detail and technical flair, his filmography has been all the more rich and exciting for it.

So what do we get three years after his last feature, Mank — a black and while biographical drama about the development of Citizen Kane's screenplay, set in old Hollywood? Well, of course a pulpy, violent (and surprisingly funny) action thriller about a skilful assassin, based on a French graphic novel.

Walking the tightrope between minimal plot and high engagement, the day-in-the-life-of-esque The Killer follows a nameless hitman as he goes on an international manhunt against his employers after a botched job, all the while grappling with his morals and personal rules of engagement. Starring (an un-retired?) Michael Fassbender in the titular role, Fincher has described the project as “a good B-movie”, and he's not too far off the mark. On paper, the film follows much of the same rhythms of the genre, and rarely diverts from the rich tradition of betrayed-hero-out-for-vengeance, but the director embraces it without pretence. And the result? A hypnotic, performance-driven tour de force you can't take your eyes away from.

Driven on a pulsating score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the film ebbs and flows seamlessly though its six globe-spanning chapters with its tense sequences, brutal action scenes, clever humour and the protagonist's many winding philosophical monologues encompassing everything from the state of our civilisation to life, death, morality, and McDonald's. And while the latter initially begs comparison to Fincher's own Fight Club, the story quickly begins to deconstruct the Killer's many closely held cynical notions, and question their validity (and flexibility) beyond convenient justifications for a lifestyle, when things begin to get personal.

The film also wears its inspirations on its sleeve — from Fassbender's Le Samouraï-inspired character to The Heat-like conversational showdown. Moreover, Fincher doesn't hesitate to lean into the classic silver screen archetype of a savvy assassin, but also has fun playing with trademark noir elements. (And did anyone mention the game Hitman?) The director and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker's skills also come to the fore more than once when they manage to establish a character more deeply in a few minutes than some shows mange to do in a run of eight seasons.

But perhaps the driving force behind this tightly constructed piece are the performances, especially the one delivered by Fassbender — a Smiths-loving, Airbnb superhost-hating, yoga-friendly gun for hire with an unceasing inner voice, who looks ready to blend into the Bazball crowd with his bucket hat and Hawaiian shirts (although his character insists the inspiration lies with the Germans and renowned friendliness). Imagine David from Prometheus, but with less genocide and more scooter riding. If he carries most of the film on his shoulders, it is the ever-brilliant Tilda Swinton who steals the show (without giving too much away) with a single scene encompassing death and desserts.

While The Killer might not break new ground, it is an exceptionally well crafted and stylish retreading of familiar territory that feels fresh and gripping in Fincher's hands. A kind of grounded and at times grimy, anti-Hunt or -Bond which doesn't take itself too seriously. And therein lie its strengths.

Stream The Killer here.