The Killer (2023) follows a contract killer who messes up a job and then is forced to retaliate when the life of his partner is threatened. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Story
A trained assassin gets it all wrong during a mission and Paris and has to make a hasty exit from the country. While his handler tells him that they’ll do their best to mitigate the damage, the complete opposite happens.
The Killer arrives back in his safe haven to find that two other assassins have gotten to his partner but haven’t killed her. After getting significant clues from her, he sets out to hit back at the people who came after him.
He starts with the man who got him into this occupation in the first place, and slowly works his way in a methodical fashion, taking down every person involved in this situation.
Despite ensuring that there are no loose ends, the Killer can’t help but feel a hint of unease with every waking moment, simply because of how his life has played out before then.
Performances
Michael Fassbender is suave, cold, and arresting as the titular assassin. His internal monologue is random and engaging, keeping the audience hooked on his words while they admire his every move.
Positives
From the very first frame, the film is an audio-visual spectacle. The use of stereo sound and the intermittent focus on every single noise is amazing, and the cinematography is similarly eye-catching.
The film does move at a particularly slow pace, but that is intentional. The narrative is split up into chapters and each chapter is structured perfectly for a brilliant experience.
The writing is also of the highest grade. The only way Fassbender’s monologue works is because he is given fantastic material to work with, and Tilda Swinton also has some great lines towards the end.
The ruthlessness of the Killer is wonderfully depicted. His kills always take you by surprise as he rarely beats around the bush or plays around with his target.
Negatives
The fight with the Brute would have been several times better if the lighting was better. Fight sequences in darkened locations aren’t always a good idea.
Verdict
The Killer (2023) is a stunning masterpiece one can expect from an auteur such as David Fincher. It has class, charisma, and intensity in plenty and audiences will certainly be at the edge of their seat from start to finish. Michael Fassbender excels in a role that he was specifically meant for and he is aided but stunning work all around.
The Killer
Director: David Fincher
Date Created: 2023-11-10 13:30
4