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by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer

In the opening minutes of The Killer, we’re introduced to our main character (played by Micheal Fassbender) monologuing about his personal code. Have no empathy. Be efficient. Don’t improvise. Have a high tolerance for boredom. This list of rules not only describes our protagonist, but is also the best way to describe this movie. David Fincher has always been known as a director who makes films that have a sense of cold detachment, and in this way, The Killer feels like his most self-aware project. On the surface, it seems to be just another movie about an irredeemable assassin, and that’s definitely how the main character would describe himself, but the film’s subtle storytelling is how his actions on his worldwide killing spree compare with his internal code. Fincher invites both the audience and the character himself to come to their own conclusions on what the titular killer really believes in. 

The Killer can best be described as an action thriller with all the boring parts left in. Barring one incredible and visceral action scene, there are not a lot of flashy or dramatic kills. It’s the planning and minutiae around the killing that get more focus. We see his tactics and the routines that he holds dearly. Our story is mainly told through the deadpan inner thoughts of Fassbender’s character (who we never get a real name for, as he goes by multiple aliases throughout his journey), and they’re usually just a monotone repeat of the same moral code stated in the beginning. Most movies try to make their characters dynamic and relatable, but interestingly, this character is purposefully kept at a distance from the audience. It’s almost as if Fincher went out of his way to make him as uncompelling as possible. Fassbender even purposely plays it flat. He’s not bad by any means, but the character has such a lack of emotion that it’s hard to find a way in as the viewer. We’re presented with the most boring hitman in the world, and 10 minutes in, you’re left wondering: Is this really our protagonist? Is the whole movie like this? 

The first hour moves at a languorous pace that leaves you shuffling in your seat, waiting for something to happen. It drops you in the middle of the story without much explanation of what’s going on outside of the hitman’s own perspective. It feels a bit like starting a show at Season Two. But in true Fincher fashion, as the plot slowly arrives at its conclusion, everything starts to come together and make sense. It’s the true definition of a slow burn, and quite a good one. You don’t fully understand what this is all about until the credits roll.

Many people find these kinds of slower films frustrating and tedious, and I am often one of them. But in The Killer’s case, I think it’s effective. It gradually makes you lean forward inch by inch, until, by the end, you’re at the edge of your seat without knowing how you got there. It’s a big risk, but it’s the kind that makes Fincher the genius that he is. I can’t say I was thrilled all the way through, or that there aren’t many more gripping neo-noirs that one could watch, but The Killer is a well-told story that’s worth the long wait it takes to get going.

Rating: Liked it

The Killer is currently playing in theaters, and will be on Netflix on November 10

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