Directed By David Fincher; Screenplay By Andrew Kevin Walker; Starring Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Gabriel Polanco, Kerry O'Malley, Emiliano Pernía, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton.
Based on Alexis “Matz” Nolent’s French graphic novel series of the same name, The Killer follows a man (Michael Fassbender) who waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool. This is the latest from director David Fincher, who’s previously helmed suspense thrillers such as Seven, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl. Although he’s also done some more straightforward dramas such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, and Mank.
Under Fincher’s direction, the opening sequence (which is like 20 minutes long) feels very reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s work on Rear Window. Mainly in how the audience sees everything the main character is seeing from out a window in a room of a big building. If any filmmaker working today can pull that technique off successfully, it’s certainly him. Not to mention that when it comes to brutal death scenes, he literally pulls no punches in that department.
Michael Fassbender as the titular killer perfectly serves as the audience surrogate to great effect. We experience everything in this movie from his perspective as he goes on his journey. Most of his lines of dialogue are voiceover narrations, which prove to be quite compelling. This may mostly be a one-man show for Fassbender, but a few other actors appear in it throughout. Some of the highlights include Charles Parnell as Hodges, Kerry O’Malley as Dolores, Arliss Howard as Claybourne, and Tilda Swinton as a fellow assassin known only as The Expert.
Another great hallmark of a Fincher film is how well made it is. Ren Klyce’s sound design is very inventive, especially with how it goes back and forth between the volume of the music Fassbender is listening to. Speaking of which, the team of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross deliver quite a chilling musical score. There’s also some brisk editing by Kirk Baxter. I’d also like to applaud the excellent cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt.
The Killer may not necessarily be top tier work from David Fincher, but it’s still quite an entertaining thriller from him. It’s currently available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5
Based on Alexis “Matz” Nolent’s French graphic novel series of the same name, The Killer follows a man (Michael Fassbender) who waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool. This is the latest from director David Fincher, who’s previously helmed suspense thrillers such as Seven, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl. Although he’s also done some more straightforward dramas such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, and Mank.
Under Fincher’s direction, the opening sequence (which is like 20 minutes long) feels very reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s work on Rear Window. Mainly in how the audience sees everything the main character is seeing from out a window in a room of a big building. If any filmmaker working today can pull that technique off successfully, it’s certainly him. Not to mention that when it comes to brutal death scenes, he literally pulls no punches in that department.
Michael Fassbender as the titular killer perfectly serves as the audience surrogate to great effect. We experience everything in this movie from his perspective as he goes on his journey. Most of his lines of dialogue are voiceover narrations, which prove to be quite compelling. This may mostly be a one-man show for Fassbender, but a few other actors appear in it throughout. Some of the highlights include Charles Parnell as Hodges, Kerry O’Malley as Dolores, Arliss Howard as Claybourne, and Tilda Swinton as a fellow assassin known only as The Expert.
Another great hallmark of a Fincher film is how well made it is. Ren Klyce’s sound design is very inventive, especially with how it goes back and forth between the volume of the music Fassbender is listening to. Speaking of which, the team of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross deliver quite a chilling musical score. There’s also some brisk editing by Kirk Baxter. I’d also like to applaud the excellent cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt.
The Killer may not necessarily be top tier work from David Fincher, but it’s still quite an entertaining thriller from him. It’s currently available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5