Fincher’s The Killer is a fascinating exploration of a man who doesn’t exist, his personality fractured into a million pieces, with only tiny shards of his character ever on show. The Killer is now streaming on Netflix.
Based on the graphic novel by Alexis Nolent, David Fincher’s unsettling tale of an assassin whose world is about to fall apart is a chilling portrait of a highly controlled life lived on the fringes of society. Michael Fassbender’s cold yet enthralling performance explores the procedural life of a man who earns money from murder and what happens when he becomes the target.
Fincher has long been fascinated by behaviour, psychology, and how humans react to the social rules around them. The Killer focuses on Fassbender’s relentless drive to clean up a botched operation while allowing us into his inner thoughts through a beautiful narration that unpicks and explores his ice-cold thoughts and motivations.
Fassbender’s character is a man who long ago compartmentalised his emotions, creating dual personas that allowed him to kill without remorse and lock away any emotional attachment he once held. However, his obsession with The Smiths’ music offers brief insight into his inner turmoil. The words of each track highlight a sense of miserable despair that bubbles under the surface but is never allowed to see the light of day.
With memorable appearances from Charles Parnell, Sala Baker, and Tilda Swinton, Fincher’s The Killer is a fascinating exploration of a man who doesn’t exist, his personality fractured into a million pieces, with only tiny shards of his character ever on show. Often chilling, occasionally humorous and unrelentingly violent, The Killer is an ice-cold yet engaging journey into the mind of an invisible man.
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