An assassin has to be a ruthless and efficient machine. No distractions, no, misgivings, no room for error. It’s a discipline that Christian (Michael Fassbender) reiterates time and time again in The Killer (His repeated mantra is, “Stick to the plan.”). The same rigorous efficiency applies to David Fincher. No matter what the film, whether the playful nonsense of The Game or witnessing the birth of the future in The Social Network, Fincher commits to bringing the story to life with precision and style. The Killer is definitely closer in register to The Game but, just like that film, you’ll be with its twists and turns every second.
The opening credits showcase The Killer’s efficiency, breezing by before launching into our prologue, an extended piece of character building that sees Christian hiding out in a Paris office. As we watch him prepare his equipment and himself for a hit, Christian narrates his routine, philosophy and work practices. He knows what he’s doing, but he’s human too; quoting Popeye doesn’t make him profound (“I yam what I yam, and dat’s all dat I am.”). As the prologue goes on, we start to wish Christian would stop talking and get to the job he’s there to do, but then the filmmakers clearly want us to see him as fallible enough to buy into his nonsense a little too much. Still, he’s a professional, and he’s clearly done all the necessary prep work. Fincher has always been drawn to characters defined by their dedication to their chosen work. In Fincher’s worlds, detectives, tech nerds, and domestic terrorists have to be the best to get the job done. We are invested in Christian because, as good as he is, the prologue ends when his assigned hit doesn’t go according to plan.
Many fans will be delighted by Fincher’s return to pulpier, bloodier material after the faux-anachronistic hollowness of Mank. More still will be excited by Fincher reuniting with Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. In adapting Matz and Jacamon’s graphic novel, Walker keeps the focus squarely on our assassin. Who was the target? Who knows. Why did the client want him dead? Who cares. Christian goes where the money is, and asks no questions. Now on the run, he has to take on a globetrotting revenge mission to save himself and his wife (Sophie Charlotte) from his contractor’s wrath. From Dominica to Florida to Chicago, Christian uses multiple hilariously-familiar aliases to get through airport security, while Fincher and DoP Erik Messerschmidt’s camera frames him in cramped tunnels and tight alleyways. The Killer has a lot of journeys to make, and it moves at a breakneck pace (Kirk Baxter’s tight edit helping no end to keep things moving). Despite being a relatively pared-back narrative, Walker and Fincher have created something that walks a fine line between character piece and thriller. Christian should be unknowable, but now that he’s vulnerable, we are riveted by his adaptability and commitment, even when his plans get derailed. When operating a long-range weapon, he seeks a heart rate below 60bpm, but will react with all brutality when face-to-face with a mark.
It takes a particularly dedicated actor to play and sell the role of Christian, and Fassbender is ideal in the lead. His lean muscularity and intense internality have been his calling cards since Hunger and Shame, and The Killer puts both to good use. His sunken eyes and lined face show us the toll this job can take, no matter how lucrative the assignment. Meanwhile, his body sells the commitment an assassin needs. As Christian works his way back to the client who hired him, he is put into a variety of increasingly-dangerous situations. All of this is in the hands of a director who knows how to keep a story from getting either too heavy or too fanciful. His signature sense of humour is ever-present (Christian is a keen fan of The Smiths. Read into that what you will), but Fincher can also milk tension from simple conversations with disturbing ease. While The Killer could feel a little ponderous to die-hard thrillseekers, a late fight scene between Christian and Sala Baker’s musclebound hitman is one of the best action scenes on Fincher’s CV. The supporting cast are memorably charismatic (Charles Parnell’s shady lawyer and Tilda Swinton’s fellow assassin are standouts), bouncing off Fassbender’s stoic determination. Like Nicholas Van Orton in The Game, Christian is going along for a wild ride, though Fassbender and Fincher give him an extra dose of fatalism, keeping us invested in his survival.
The Killer isn’t the most challenging narrative with which Fincher has worked, but by approaching it with his usual professionalism, he has crafted a thrilling piece of pulpy action, elegant in construction and humming with intelligence. The Killer is made with too much care by too many people at the peak of their powers to be dismissed as mere pulp.