The Killer

Directed by David Fincher, The Killer follows a meticulous (and nameless) assassin (Michael Fassbender) as he embarks on a campaign of violent vengeance after a job goes awry. Filmmaker Fincher, armed with Andrew Kevin Walker’s screenplay, kicks off the proceedings with a terrific credits sequence that instantly (and completely) grabs the viewer’s interest and attention, with the compelling atmosphere, beyond that point, heightened by a propulsive, dialogue-free opening stretch that effectively establishes Fassbender’s chilly protagonist and his exacting modus operandi. (Erik Messerschmidt’s striking cinematography and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ moody score perpetuate the enthralling atmosphere, to be sure.) It’s clear, too, that The Killer benefits substantially from Fassbender’s note-perfect turn as the ruthless (yet sympathetic) central character, while Fincher elicits top-notch (and memorable work from a superb supporting cast that includes Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, and Tilda Swinton. (The latter is especially electrifying in her one, late-in-the-game scene.) And while the episodic narrative does ensure that certain sequences fare better than others (eg Fassbender’s figure’s encounter with Parnell’s lawyer is thoroughly riveting, and, conversely, the climactic meeting with Howard’s client can’t help but feel a little anticlimactic), The Killer concludes with a note-perfect finale that cements the picture’s place as one of the best and most spellbinding thrillers to come out of Hollywood in a good long while.

**** out of ****