Release Date – 27th October 2023, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 58 minutes, Director – David Fincher
In the wake of a job going wrong an assassin (Michael Fassbender) takes it upon himself to track down his employers and contacts linked to the job.
We’re not meant to connect with Michael Fassbender’s stoney-faced assassin. We’re not entirely meant to empathise with him – he tells us frequently “forbid empathy. Empathy is weakness. Weakness is vulnerability”. What we’re meant to feel is intrigue for him and his process. A process which is wildly thrown off when a job goes wrong. The opening 10 minutes of David Fincher’s latest, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, based on the French comic-book of the same name, are made up of a steadily-paced monologue from Fassbender, delving into his process and how drawn-out it can be. His process is precise, exact and “fully logistical”.
So, when it goes wrong we’re thrown into a world of chaos just as he is, waiting to see what he does in still seemingly thoroughly-thought-out fashion. The central character, simply named The Killer, knows who he needs to get to and is working out how to get there; with the narrative divided into distinct chapters there’s a clearly even more specific and focused nature to things. Everything in Fassbender’s line of work is intricately detailed, memorised and acted upon. Imagine a John Wick-esque thriller without as much highly-stylised action, and a good deal more coldness.
This is something different from Fincher with a familiar coldness. There’s a distance between Fassbender and the world around him, or at least his work. It makes it easier for him, but once things go wrong a personal nature drips into the frame. While still carrying out work there’s a watered down feeling of ‘just business’ present to his actions. His narration throughout is equally distant, often monotone and matter-of-fact. His guide to assassination and executing the kill acts as the guiding consistent throughout. Trying to maintain a feeling of order despite the events that he’s been plunged into. During a key escape sequence towards the start of the film the state of the scene matches his demeanour: calm and collected with the knowledge of chaos and panic. It’s an interesting mix which adds further interest and intrigue into the central figure and the way in which he executes his affairs.
This isn’t to say that there’s a lack of tension in the action sequences. In fact, the moments that appear most planned by the protagonist bring the most suspense when something threatens to disturb the flow – one gym sequence in particular increases the seat-gripping nature the longer it goes on. Some of the action contrasts with the opening stages, and indeed the overall How To Succeed In Murdering With Plenty Of Trying nature. They’re violent and messy; bodies, bullets and blood crash through walls with a fiery background occasionally poking its head through the frame of a broken door.
Such moments are contained within the control and order of the rest of the film, especially when backed by Fassbender’s monologue – it’s an otherwise somewhat quiet performance which manages to have plenty of effect thanks to the narration which compliments it. Much like the film as a whole, there’s plenty of intrigue within the distanced mixtures on display making for an interesting, entertaining thriller.
The Killer is a cold, intriguing thriller led by a strong performance from Michael Fassbender who perfectly captures the calm and collected exterior of a film with plenty of controlled chaos and tension throughout.
Just A Little Bit Random 