A review of the new David Fincher film “Killer”
Director David Fincher is the master of the thriller movie – think “Seven” or “Fight Club” or “Gone “Girl”. Here the tension begins with the jarring opening credits and never caeses for the next two taut hours.In his first screen role for four years, Michael Fassbender plays a superbly professional assassin – never named – who suddenly finds that the hunter has become the hunted. Fassbender – who is rarely off the screen – is brilliant as he methodically travels from one location to another to find and eliminate his adversaries in echoes of “Kill Bill”. Based on a French graphic novel, it is not simply that the point of view is that of the killer but we inhabit his mind as we hear him mentally repeat his mantra and listen to a series of music tracks from The Smiths.
The entire film is wonderfully stylish, but there are two stand-out scenes: a brutal fight sequence with a character simply titled The Brute (Sala Baker) and an ice-cold encounter with The Expert (a brilliant Tilda Swinton). This could have been a classic but it is let down by an anti-climactic ending. However, if you like the John Wick movies, this is for you.
It will be on Netflix in a week’s time.