Michael Fassbender is runnin’ and gunnin’ around the globe as a hitman on the lam in a new film that, frankly, sounds like a lot of other films on first taste. But this one’s directed by David Fincher!
How to watch The Killer in the UK
Following a brief theatrical run, The Killer is streaming in the UK exclusively on Netflix from November 10.
The Killer (2023)
What is The Killer about?
Really, there’s not much more to say: after a job goes wrong in Paris, Fassbender’s meticulous, cold-blooded killer finds himself targeted by his former employers, and things proceed naturally from there. Written by Seven scribe Andrew Kevin Walker, the film is based on the French comic of the same title by writer Matz and artist Luc Jacamon, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the 1989 John Woo action classic, also of the same title. Which seems like a missed opportunity, tbh. It also seems to owe no small debt to French new wave director Jean-Pierre Melville’s stylish crime dramas like Le Cercle rouge and Le Samouraï – the latter of which was also an influence on Woo’s movie.
The cast of The Killer
Fassbender is our nameless killer; Arliss Howard is his client, Claybourne; Charles Parnell is his handler, Hodges; Tilda Swinton is fellow assassin, The Expert; Sala Baker is The Brute, another killer; and Sophie Charlotte, Gabriel Polanco, Emiliano Pernía, Endre Hules, Monique Ganderton, and Jack Kesy round out the ensemble.
The Killer trailer
What are the critics saying about The Killer ?
Oh, they are loving it. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, praising David Fincher’s meticulously stylish aesthetic and Fassbender’s controlled performance. Dissenting voices have noted, however, that we have seen all this before, and under the slick surface this is a pretty nuts ‘n’ bolts crime thriller. So don’t go expecting another Zodiac from Finch this time out – set your expectations to Panic Room.
