The Killer (Michael Fassbender) is in Paris for his latest job when an unforeseen error results in him needing to manage the consequences of his mistake.

Set across six chapters we follow him through Paris, The Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Florida, Chicago and New York as he fastidiously ensures that what has gone wrong is set right. 

Throughout we listen to his narration, or perhaps it is his internal monologue as he sets about his task. He repeats his mantra, “Stick to your plan. Trust no one. Forbid empathy. Anticipate, don’t improvise.” Everything he does is about planning. He is precise and exact and he repeatedly tells himself that he does not care. We see him practice yoga and listen to The Smiths as mechanisms to ensure his heart rate stays low enough to perform his job efficiently. Our insights into his mind are in his actions and his monologue with barely a word uttered on screen. There is no fate, there is no luck. There is no plan for us, only what has already happened.

The result is utterly fascinating. 

Written by Andrew Kevin Walker and directed by David Fincher who brought us the exceptional Seven we have another story about a sociopath who meticulously plans his path through life. Michael Fassbender is chillingly brilliant at portraying the nihilistic protagonist. Whilst the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is perfectly on theme with its dark, industrial and unsettling tone. (This is their 5th collaboration.)

Fincher has always been known for his precision. Stories of his multiple takes and eye for exactitude are rife in the industry. Perhaps it is a bit on the nose to point out that this subject matter is a perfect match for him but frankly it is. He is able to build tension like no other and go to the very dark places that the subject matter requires. Even the chapter structure of the film imbues more precision with each one set in a new city with a new goal. Whilst the opening hit features the most tension, there is a chapter featuring a brutal fight sequence that is choreographed to perfection and another that features a joke that perhaps offers some insight into his mind. 

And finally what it all means and what you think The Killer’s motivations are is up to you. Is it about the many versus the few? Is he as nihilistic as he says or someone suppressing his empathy? But perhaps the question we might all be asking ourselves is why watching assassins in films is so fascinating. 

It may not quite live alongside Fincher’s greats such as Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac and The Social Network. But The Killer has a different focus than those films in its singular focus on one character and how that persons outlook on life is perhaps a reflection of society now. Whereas his other films have multiple character views. I do wonder if it will grow in my already high estimations on further viewings.