Legendary director David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “The Social Network”) returns to directing on Nov. 10 with “The Killer,” which follows a nameless assassin (Michael Fassbender) as he goes down a spiral of paranoia and brutally realistic revenge after a botched job in Paris brings violent blowback from his wealthy employer.
Fincher shows off his renowned technical precision and penchant for pitch-black irony in the opening scene. The nameless killer’s precise, well-oiled killing routine plays over a mental monologue of his thoughts on modern society and his inconsequential place within it. The extended sequence ends with a serious error directly contradicting the killer’s constant self-validation.
This opening sets the stage for a revenge story more concerned with the process of manipulating everything into place for the perfect payback than the actual brief moment of death that comes at its conclusion. Fincher quickly but clearly communicates a dizzying string of international escapades with his signature shadowy cinematography, illustrating the nature of the criminal underworld that the protagonist immerses himself in. Fincher lays out each one of the actual killings step-by-step in a manner indicating that he takes as much pride in these elaborate constructions as his murderous anti-hero does.
However, there’s a strong element of doubt in the story that begins with the inciting error and expands to influence almost every aspect of the story. As the killer reels from his initial error and soon after discovers the brutal assault of his close friend, he continually insists that his actions aren’t personal even as he begins to lose his cool and get himself into increasingly dangerous situations while pursuing his goal.
The highlight of “The Killer” comes in the form of said dangerous situation in the fourth chapter when an extended brawl breaks out between the killer and one of his targets in the form of one of the greatest hand-to-hand fight scenes to come out of an American studio in a long time. Fincher uses a handheld camera to tactically capture the action’s intensity while bringing attention to the quickly established geography of the space. The actual fight choreography feels gritty, brutal and fast-paced, with special attention paid to framing each strike and movement for maximum impact and avoiding overly fast cuts so the action can sink in properly. It’s a major highlight of Fincher’s illustrious career and one of the best scenes in a movie this year.
Even though that single fight scene proves an outlier from the rest of the film’s patiently methodical violence and tactical maneuvering, “The Killer” makes all of it flow together seamlessly, thanks to Fassbender’s brilliantly understated performance. There’s a lack of concrete emotional background for his character that hampers the film as it increases in intensity and stakes. Still, Fassbender plays his mostly blank canvas with a mixture of chilling confidence and a studied caution that’s totally enthralling to watch. If “The Killer” lacks emotion, it makes up for it substantially with laser-focused filmmaking and an endearingly accurate modern spin on classic revenge narratives.
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