The Killer (2023) movie review

Art is subjective, but the creative process is not. The process is laborious, intuitive and in the case of filmmaking, collaborative. David Fincher is a master at storytelling in movies who has an awe-inspiring creative process. Other well-known directors admit they can’t hold a candle to his process with his relentless approach to creating the best possible artwork. Ever the perfectionist, with The Killer, Fincher has subverted all expectations to create an experience that requires more than one viewing to be truly appreciated.

The killer (Michael Fassbender)from the movie’s title is introduced when he is on a mission; alone and coiled. His mission brings him to Paris in this long scene, where he opens up about his philosophy while staring outside a picturesque window, sharing mundane bits about his process and work. The scene would’ve been comical if he wasn’t talking to himself. Nolan tried to put the audience in Oppenheimer’s head throughout Oppenheimer with images of planetary explosions and other space phenomena, suddenly flashing on screen. Fincher does that in The Killer with this long introductory scene.

The mission goes awry which sets the killer on a path deemed by revenge and blood. The trailer of the movie sells it as an action thriller. And action movies have beats that we as the audience have come to expect. There is the opening action sequence followed by a gradual escalation of action and violence which culminates in a climactic showdown. The Killer follows none of those beats. 

This defiance of expectations is hard to digest for action movie lovers. To truly enjoy the movie, go in with no expectations. If you are still disappointed, take some time and then rewatch it. Just like most Fincher movies, you will come to terms with the initial disappointment and admire the movie for what it is.

The eponymous killer has a process; he is methodical. In his own words, he is effective because he doesn’t give a fuck who’s right or wrong. Dressed as a German tourist he once saw, his goal is to be forgettable and hopefully, invisible. He is part of an enterprise, a cog in the machine, a piece of a larger puzzle. But, he is also an expert at what he does and once his emotions are invested, he becomes instinctive, one might even say, impulsive. This change surprises him too.

As the killer, I cannot think of a better actor to be cast. But as always, I’m astonished by how brilliant Michael Fassbender is. His physicality is frankly, an achievement. He barely speaks on screen as most of the dialogue he has is with himself in the form of inner monologues. The cinematography enhances the performance as Fassbender looks adequately lethal in the shadowy moments of the film. Fassbender is known to play unsympathetic characters (which the killer on paper is), but here, he is an anti-heroic protagonist.

Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography is noteworthy, especially in the parts that take place in the sunny Dominican Republic and California. This is Erik’s second movie of the year after Ferrari. With The Killer, Fincher has created an ode to the lone assassin character in pulp fiction. A character based on a French comic book series with the same name, he resides in the same world as Richard Stark’s Parker or Melville’s Le Samourai. A soon-to-be classic, The Killer is a dark, oddly comical revenge thriller about a man coming to terms with himself.