The Killer

The Killer
Starring Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard
Directed by David Fincher

We've all seen the movie where it starts off with a bad guy who does bad things for profit and who seemingly has no redeemable qualities, but throughout that film's runtime they have a change of heart and turn into someone worth rooting for and worth caring about. It's a tried and true trope that people enjoy because we all love to see someone come back from the brink of evil and turn into someone good. Now when you tune into a David Fincher-directed film, you're more than likely not going to find that. Think "Gone Girl, "Se7en," or "Zodiac" for example. He enjoys telling stories about people who are irredeemable, who don't have that "come to Jesus" moment and remain just as cold and heartless as they were at the start. "The Killer" is no different - the story of a professional hitman who misses his mark and goes against his own rules to get revenge. This hitman never shows empathy or compassion, and throughout the film he maintains his set of rules - even though he breaks most of them along the way.

When a hit in Paris goes wrong and an innocent bystander dies, The Killer (Michael Fassbender) returns to his home in the Dominican Republic to find his girlfriend beaten near death, and learns that his accident has cost him dearly - other assassins are now out to eliminate him as a loose end. Employing his succinct form of killing, he tracks down those responsible and hatches a plan to get revenge, save himself and his love, and along the way break practically all his rules that he's stoically held to.


The Good:
David Fincher is a genius for storytelling, and for creating characters that are unique and memorable. Although "The Killer" is based on an already-established IP, it seems something Fincher originated on his own. We have the irredeemable lead who doesn't change his spots to become a good guy, but remains someone you still root for despite his evil nature.

Michael Fassender is an inspired choice to play The Killer, as he exudes this mysterious charm that aids him in hiding his true nature from the moviegoing public. You don't know what's going through his mind at any given time, because he keeps it hidden on purpose. There's several moments in the film where you think he'll really go against his rules and do something drastic, but maintains to his mantra and is essentially a cold, heartless killer who has no true redeeming qualities - but since Fassbender is such a charismatic actor, you still can't help but root for him.

The story zips across different "chapters" in the story as the Killer embarks on a worldwide quest for revenge, spanning Paris, the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Florida, New York and Chicago, and the pace moves as fast as the jets the killer utilizes to get to each location. There's not really a moment of brevity or slowness that drags the film along. It goes from one target to the next and doesn't relent on the speed it travels, which is refreshing in this day when most movies feel they have to be three hours long to tell an hour-long story.

The action is top notch as well, most notably an intense fight between the Killer and one of his targets as they beat each other to a pulp using improvised home weapons. Fincher is secure in his filmmaking and doesn't rely on Michael Bay-style camera shaky work to illicit excitement, but rather showcases a talented feel by remaining the camera on point so you see everything happening in a way that comes off as self-assured and someone who knows his audience.

Fincher reunites with several of his behind-the-scenes talent to bring "The Killer" to life, including "Gone Girl" cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, "The Social Network" editor Kirk Baxter, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to handle the score, including a greatest hits package from The Smiths. The technical aspects coalesce together to craft something exciting and memorable.

The supporting characters also add to the story, even if they're only on for a short time. Charles Parnell plays the Killer's handler who turns against him when the hit goes wrong, and yet maintains a steely resolve even when facing near-certain death. Arliss Howard plays the Killer's client who's someone you'd expect from someone who's a millionaire - sniveling, whiny, and scared to death. Sala Baker plays the Brute, who beats the Killer's girlfriend and who also puts up the biggest fight, while the MVP goes to the always-amazing Tilda Swinton, who plays the Expert, and has a fascinating confrontation with the Killer in a high-end restaurant in New York.

Surprisingly, there's a decent amount of humor thrown into "The Killer" - at least comedy through Fincher's eyes. The aliases that The Killer uses are nods to classic television sitcoms from Felix Unger ("The Odd Couple") to Reuben Kinkaid ("The Partridge Family") and Howard Cunningham ("Happy Days"). There's mention of Wordle that got me giggling a bit, and the speech Tilda Swinton's Expert gives is downright hilarious, especially the story she tells of a hunter and a bear. It's odd to see such humor in a humorless film, but "The Killer" delivers the laughs as well as the kills.


The Bad:
It seems that "The Killer" is almost too simple. He easily finds out who is out to get him and goes about dispatching them with as much ease as it would be finding a candle in a Bath and Body Works store. He has enough aliases to easily travel around the world, and no one bats an eye to the multiple names he has. One of the Killer's rules is to remain hidden, yet casting Michael Fassbender in that sense is a misnomer because it's impossible for a man of his stature to remain hidden - but yet he pulls it off.

Each of his targets don't really put up much of a fight, save for The Brute, so you know there's never real danger for the Killer. Everyone seems resolved to their fate and do little to nothing to fight back. It all seems so simple and polished that there was no room for error because no one made any errors: they just proverbially laid there and took it.


The Summary:
Although the stakes weren't as high as they could've been, "The Killer" is a tense-filled action that doesn't outstay its welcome and give us a great antihero performance by Michael Fassender.


The Score: A