Revisiting the genius of David Fincher’s ‘The Killer’

Michael Fassbender brings all of it to life, making narration a sexy plot device for once.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the central character in David Fincher’s The Killer. He takes methodicalism to a whole new level, refining the chilliness of a hitman’s life to a potent single malt whisky. Played perfectly by Michael Fassbender, he’s a man we both admire and feel like giving a hug to, all the while sitting in jealousy at the practitioner aspect of his ways.

How can you not be jealous of a man who wakes up from a nice nap in an under construction clinic in Paris while casing a mark across the street? How can you not be impressed at a man who can eat at McDonald’s without consuming a single carb? Cinematic and very real all at once, he’s hard to take your eyes off during Fincher’s riveting thriller.

When it comes to kills, his batting average is way better than Ted Williams and Ty Cobb. Outside of a mark dying before he could complete the hit, he’s never missed… until 15 minutes into the movie. After a patient, voiceover-laden intro, we see a very rich man be led around a room by a seductress aka high end call girl, unbeknownst to the stranger parked directly across the street. A late movement from the woman catches her a bullet to the chest, and brings down a firestorm upon Fassbender’s normally elite killer’s life.

By the way, that’s his moniker for the entire film. In conversations with other characters, his real name is never mentioned or even hinted at. While some would be annoyed by this screenwriting idea, they forget that the world was given an all timer TV show named Banshee where audiences never found out the lead character’s real name. This way, the focus remains on the character and his plot-driven initiative: stay alive, avenge his beat-up girlfriend, and kill as many fellow house-cleaning baddies as possible.

Here’s the thing. A lot of narration doesn’t make a lot of films that good in the end, because it feels like the movie and thoughts are being explained. It can be an operation that negates the entire magic of the movies: the visuals telling the story. In Fincher’s 2023 gem, all of those usually forgotten details aren’t abandoned, yet aren’t threatened by Fassbender’s internal clock readings.

One of the most humorous bits remains his take on people placing their faith in the inherent goodness of mankind: “I must ask… based off what, exactly?"

When it comes to the action, the movie isn’t overloaded or veer into John Wick territory. It’s precise, blunt, and comes at you quick. While searching for one of the goons sent to kill him that ended up with his girlfriend in the hospital, Fassbender is bull-rushed by a larger-than-life human. What starts as an erratic brawl gets some finesse when the Killer reaches his weapon and makes good use of a broken table. The shot of the guy looking down and seeing his crotch soaked in blood never fails to make the stomach squeak a little.

That’s the point. Bring us up close and personal with a guy who makes a living out of dead people, winning us over with his charm and clear headed take on life and all of its joys and perils. He’s so secure in his emotions and who he is that the audience doesn’t mind if it’s another movie about a hitman who messes up a job and starts breaking his own rules. Fassbender and Fincher make it all exotic and provocative.

“One is born, lives their life, and then one dies. Do what thou shalt be the rule of the law.”

Some were bummed that the ending wasn’t more multi-faceted or packed with useless extra meanings. No thanks. It was perfect. He completes the mission, and makes his woman a fierce-looking cappuccino. After all that shaving, changing and running, not touching delicious-looking room service, and downing a case of hard-boiled eggs on the way to disposing a body… he rests. Any movie that takes the time to show the lead character eating and getting his protein is an instant step above for me.

Spoiler alert one year later, but it didn’t need a twisty, winding finish to seal the deal of its value. When you have a director working at the top of his game and an actor right there with him, the devil is in the details and not some useless plot thread. Cheers to him for briefly romanticizing the use of a scooter as a getaway vehicle.

It’s forever streaming on Netflix, so go take a look. For the people who like a good drama/thriller with just the right amount of action, this is the one for you. I’ll be rewatching it often.