The Killer **** (2023, Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte) – Classic Movie Review 12,815

Cinema release poster of The Killer (2023, Michael Fassbender).

Director David Fincher’s ice-cold but red-hot 2023 American action thriller film The Killer stars an on-fire Michael Fassbender as an assassin who embarks on an international vendetta after a hit goes wrong.

The screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker is based on the French graphic novel series The Killer written by Alexis ‘Matz’ Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. The film stars Michael Fassbender. Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, and Sophie Charlotte.

It starts with a fateful near-miss in Paris, when a hit goes wrong and The Killer, a professional assassin, misses the target and accidentally shoots a dominatrix instead. The Killer then flees, and has to battle his employers and himself when he embarks on a retaliatory international vendetta that supposedly isn’t personal. His girlfriend Magdala has been attacked. He has no feelings, no emotions, so how could the vendetta be personal?

The Killer is a smart, slick and smooth thinking person’s action thriller, with ultra sleek visuals, a noir tone, a cracking central performance by Michael Fassbender as the assassin, and a highly entertaining cameo by Tilda Swinton as one of his targets, The Expert, a fellow assassin living in New York.

It accesses The Bourne Identity, John Wick and Le Samourai, but comes up with something unique. David Fincher is on scintillating form and an ultra-fit Fassbender is scalding. He has almost the whole film to himself, and, boy, does he know it and relish it. Tilda has only a few minutes of screen time but makes every second count. She’s quite the scene-stealer.

The vibrant score is by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and the soundtrack is mainly gloomy songs from English rock band the Smiths, all contributing to the mood.

It is shot in Paris, the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Chicago and St Charles, Illinois. It is all extremely stylish, with the flashiest of cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt.

The Killer premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2023, had a limited cinema release on 27 October 2023, and began streaming on Netflix on 10 November 10, 2023.

The cast are Michael Fassbender as The Killer, Tilda Swinton as The Expert, Charles Parnell as The Lawyer, Hodges, the Killer’s handler posing as a lawyer, Arliss Howard as The Client, Claybourne, a billionaire businessman, Kerry O’Malley as Dolores, an office administrator working for Hodges, Sophie Charlotte as Magdala, the Killer’s girlfriend, Emiliano Pernía as Marcus, Magdala’s brother, Gabriel Polanco as taxi driver Leo, Sala Baker as The Brute, an assassin who lives in Florida, Monique Ganderton as The Dominatrix, Daran Norris as Deep South Lounge greeter, and Jack Kesy as Salesman.

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte.

Duration: 118 minutes.

Country: US.

Production: Netflix.

American screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (born August 14, 1964) is also known for having written David Fincher’s Seven (1995).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,815

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