The Killer (2023)
A good film for anyone else, a mediocre film from Fincher.
Presentation:
Fincher returns to Red and Leica but opts again for post editing to achieve effects including anamorphic mimicry shot in spherical, the same as Mindhunter. The film looks nice and uses abundant ambient lighting but the key is the camera movement, which always makes slow motion kills a delight. But we’ve seen stylish and dark hitman and killer films before, so what could Fincher bring to the table that hasn’t been seen already? The result is less than inspiring for the visionary.
Conclusion:
A good film in isolation, but a forgettable film from Fincher. It’s hard to answer whether this film was worth making. You can see the potential but the film just falls so flat for Fincher's pedigree. Aside from the Fincher touch, the film feels stale. This isn’t the first time Fincher uses internal monologue and introspective views but the lack of a subversive element makes the whole formula fall apart. There is a lack of tension resulting from Fassbender mostly bulldozing his way through his obstacles, this might as well been Bourne sequel. What this film is missing is an internal struggle, which is why his other introspective characters have had so much success. Explicit dialogue isn’t compelling to the audience unless there are meaningful hurdles to navigate. Although Fincher does attempt at experimentation here, he returned to his roots without soul and it feels his best days are behind him, hopefully not so.
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Watch a movie recap instead.