This is the second film to focus on a Hit Man/assassin at the London Film Festival but this time, it takes a look at things from a completely different angle.
Stepping away from the comedic side to the dark world of thriller that The Killer lives in. Widely known for his iconic films such as Fight Club, The Social Network, Se7en and much more, David Fincher, who three years after his last film MANK, also a collaboration with Netflix, returns for this intense look into the life of a Killer who has to go after people who wronged him.
The Killer follows the titular man who after a fateful near miss on a job, has to battle with his employers and himself on an international manhunt for the people that hurt his wife, but he insists that this isn’t personal.
David Fincher tells a very simple and easy-to-follow story with this film. After The Killer accidentally misses a shot at his target and fatefully kills an innocent woman, he escapes Paris as fast as he can but soon finds out that this mistake of his won’t be forgotten after his wife is found in the hospital after a brutal attack from some other assassins.
The film is split into several parts and each part follows The Killer’s journey on the hunt for his next victim who was involved with the attack. The story is nothing special but it’s what David Fincher does with the rest of this film that makes it engaging.
The film manages to keep a tense pacing throughout and keeps you on the edge wondering what the outcome of Michael Fassbender’s character will be by the end of the film. The script for The Killer is an interesting piece to work through as Michael Fassbender’s character speaks in a very monotonous tone. Little is known about him and that’s perfect for the type of character he is, he gives us so little information about him but just enough to understand him.
With a strong script and the amazing performance that Michael Fassbender gives off, these aren’t the only two things that factor into the story and what makes the film work.
The score and the sound design work hand in hand with the main character’s story, it’s very clear that Fincher uses the sound design in a way to support the narrative in the film and it works perfectly during one action scene in the film, which combines the use of the camera work, the sound and the fighting choreography to make one of the best action sequences of the year and one that should be studied for its use and effectiveness.
Thankfully for the limited release in theatres before dropping on Netflix, it’s possible for The Killer to be nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Sound.
Fincher shows an interesting take on the psyche of a killer, naturally believing that they are void of all emotion and move like robots, Fincher takes that and demonstrates with the main character that though he has these set of rules for himself that he must follow to pull off a job, he still tends to fail here and there. It’s these moments in the film where we get that tonal shift into a slight comedy but those moments never stick for long as we go straight to the focal point.
Final Thoughts
The Killer is David Fincher’s best film in recent years and a great film to see Michael Fassbender return in after the disaster that was X-Men: Dark Phoenix. It’s a film that’s devoid of little emotion which makes the majority of the film very tense and has certain scenes stand out more.
Without the amazing visuals and sound design that come along with the already great performances and script, this film would’ve had a very different outcome, thankfully Fincher uses both the visuals and sound design to help tell the story in a unique way, creating an experience that shouldn’t be missed out on.
Rating: 5 out of 5
David Fincher’s The Killer releases in theatres on October 27.
