Suspenseful And Gripping || Review Of The Killer (2023)
The title of this film sets the stage for what to expect in this action thriller. There's no need to sugarcoat this—It's about a killer who does his job so spectacularly well that once he appears, his targets don't argue but succumb to their fate! I know I wouldn't want to meet someone like this in a dark alley.
Based on the French novel series of the same name written by Alexis Nolent and directed by one of Hollywood's foremost psychological thriller makers, The Killer (2023) holds the audience in its grasp and immerses them in the revenge journey of a smart and icy assassin.
The Killer is on a high priority contract in Paris, staking out a hotel and awaiting the right time to take out his target. But things go wrong when he pulls the trigger of his sniper rifle and someone else dies, alerting the target to the impending attack on him. He flees the scene, travels out of the country and returns to his house to find it ransacked and bloody trails around. He discovers his girlfriend is in the ICU, battered and bruised.
Who would dare to enter the lair of a skilled assassin? Why did they hurt his girlfriend and almost left her for dead? What do they want?
Seeing that David Fincher is the director of this action thriller, I knew it would be worth watching. The plot is great—an insight into the assassin's job but in this case, he misses his target which seems like a mistake he never makes. This leads to unexpected consequences and an unending trail of blood and dead bodies.
Unlike his technique of diving straight into the action as he did in Gone Girl, Panic Room and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fincher chooses a different narrative style and goes slow at the beginning of this film before picking up the pace midway. The focus is on how The Killer operates and the rules he lives by, and this is backed by a voiceover narration by Michael Fassbender, aka, The Killer.
Fincher takes his audience through this assassin's routine down to the smallest detail like his sleeping pattern. Every scene is packed with rich details and intrigue about the Killer's next move. He's perfect, stoic and emotionless in action. He goes against his rules to exact vengeance on those who try to take him out, making him a fascinating character.
In my opinion, Michael Fassbender is the fitting actor to play the role of the assassin because he does perfectly. Tilda Swinton, a fellow assassin, plays her part so well too like she was born for it. Fincher did great with his stellar cast and their performance was simply outstanding.
The scene I enjoy the most is when Fassbender goes after The Brute played by Sala Baker. Their fight scene in a dimly lit house at night emphasises the dangerous nature of the Killer's job. The lighting is low and perfect creating tension and suspense. I feared for the assassin at this point believing he might be killed but then, he's the protagonist and needs to stay alive till the end of the film. The action sequences were well executed.
The cinematography, editing and transitions are simply perfect. Everything is intact, nothing out of place in my opinion. David Fincher is known as the perfectionist so I can't imagine the amount of work that went into making this film.
Overall, I enjoyed watching The Killer. The narrative is perfectly crafted to hold the audience in a gripping suspense and deliver adrenaline-pumping thrills. It's a film worth watching. I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 5. R-rated for violence and gore.
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