The Killer might start off slow, but hang on to your seatbelts because this is one of the better action thrillers to hit Netflix.
The Killer
The first time I tried to watch The Killer, I turned it off after ten minutes because my daughter and her husband didn’t have the patience to wait for the film to go full Kraken. Their loss. I had the chance to watch it in its entirety today and I am so happy that I did. The Killer, directed by David Fincher who is known for his psychological thrillers, was adapted from a French graphic novel series. The screenplay is by Andrew Kevin Walker and the film stars Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, and the always-amazing Tilda Swinton.
Michael Fassbender, who is most recognized for his roles in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, and in X-Men brings something different to his assassin character…classic discipline. It is this monotonous discipline, which we observe in the first ten minutes, that may have turned my family off from watching the rest of the film. What my family was expecting from the get-go was explosions and car races. Instead, Fincher gave us a thinking man’s action film. And, let me set the record straight, there is enough action and violence to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire length of the film.
The Killer begins with Fassbender’s character walking us through the preparation for the hit. The Killer explains in detail what he is doing, how he will do it, and where he will do it. We, the viewers, are getting a peek into a killer’s mind and it is both fascinating and frightening. Everything is planned down to the smallest of details, but even professionals fuck up. When Fassbender’s character commits a major “oops,” he and anyone close to him become the prey.
Conclusion
Michael Fassbender is fantastic in his role, as are the other actors, although their scenes are short. The Killer has countless aliases and fake passports and enough money hidden all over the world to seek out those responsible for his girlfriend’s attack.
The beauty and artistry of this film is in the meticulous details. Unfortunately, my family didn’t wait long enough to see this. They didn’t realize that sometimes…the monotonous routines hold the most action.
As a sidenote, The Killer is worth watching just to witness the delicious interaction between Fassbender’s and Tilda Swinton’s characters. You can watch The Killer on Netflix.
