Watch TrailerThe Killer Movie Review: “Stick to your plan, don’t improvise,” Michael Fassbender repeats to himself in The Killer when he is about to shoot his target. When he says it for the third time, I couldn’t help myself but whisper, ‘Please improvise’, because after a point, it just became monotonous and I was hoping for some interesting action. Releasing on Netflix, The Killer is David Fincher’s latest presentation. Having watched films such as Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl, I walked into The Killer hoping a great experience. However, I ended up yawning a few times in the movie.
The Killer starred Michael Fassbender in the lead, who plays the role of a hitman. The film kicks off with Fassbender’s hitman, named as The Killer, waiting patiently in Paris night after night to shoot a target he was assigned. However, a miss in the aim leads to a domino effects, resulting in The Killer not only backtracking the middlemen but also the Client who set the aim.
David Fincher’s new release is not one of his best works. The filmmaker has a linear approach to the film, making it a rather single narrative with a few supporting dialogues instead of getting all the cast equally involved. The film rides on Fassbender’s shoulders, whose character talks to himself a lot. The first quarter of the film is just Fassbender unfolding his thoughts while waiting to attempt the kill.
Although the dialogues and the approach is intriguing, the film does more talking than moving. In cases like The Social Network, the speaking bits propelled the story. In The Killer’s case, it slows down the film, making it a strange slow burner, especially when it is supposed to be a thriller. I feel the film needed more layers and stunt scenes to make the impact.
Nevertheless, the cast does a fine job to keep it going. Fassbender carries the shoulder skillfully on his shoulder while he is supported by impressive performances by Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell and Sala Baker. The more interesting casting in the film is Tilda Swinton. Her character is built up in such a way that I was hoping for a showdown. Unfortunately, Fincher wastes her in the film.
The Killer is 1 hour 58 minutes but it begins to feel long when the third chapter in the film concludes. The last two chapters in the film still give viewers a little to chew on but it is not fully enough. Despite a good casting and a unique approach, The Killer lacks thrill.
