Returning to the ground he is arguably most familiar with, David Fincher is back with The Killer, a crime-thriller drama based on a French graphic novel for Netflix. Starring Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin, who makes one mistake that sends his entire livelihood crashing down, can The Killer execute a clean hit?
There is a reason that David Fincher has become the cinematic master of crime, with this latest effort a clear return to form for the talented writer-director. A clean and thrilling exploration of a trained and lethal hitman's psyche, The Killer benefits from its creatives' infamously precise attention to detail, the character's dissections and examinations reflective of Fincher’s own approach to the text. His first collaboration with Andrew Kevin Walker since Se7en may need a sharper re-examination to trim some of the fat - the runtime is slightly too long and some scenes feel somewhat repetitive in nature - but the sharp dialogue and strong control of its lead character make it a success in spite of this.
Stunningly edited by Kirk Baxter, and pulsating with kinetic energy supported by Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch's superbly reliable score, The Killer's craft is masterful. Matched with a soundscape that uses silence as a weapon, combined with effective narration, every department is firing on all cylinders, working to cultivate The Killer into the engrossing cinematic experience these films are at their best. An achievement that feels as effortlessly cool as it does painstakingly measured, The Killer is so sleekly designed and goes down a treat as a result.
Fincher and Fassbender are such a strong pairing, so meticulous in the approach to their craft, and it’s rather surprising that a collaboration has taken this long to materialise. Fassbender’s strongest performance in years, he offers a complex and committed turn that rather wordlessly weaves a fascinating tapestry of a man whose deeds have finally caught up with him. Silent but striking, as his poise begins to fade and the facade cracks start to show, Fassbender transforms an unflinching character into a man fearing for his survival. A lesser performer would likely be tempted in by cheap theatrics to illustrate it, but Fassbender's tight grip on the titular killer prevents it from occurring.
The Killer is far from Fincher’s strongest work to date but it is an effortlessly sleek return to a genre that begs the question: why did he ever leave it? If the screenplay were as tight as the direction, we could have an all-timer on our hands but, as it is, The Killer reinforces the strength of one of our greatest contemporary director’s superb filmographies, playing to his icy, meticulous strengths.