After David Fincher (“Fight Club”) recently delivered a beautifully crafted biopic about “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz with “Mank,” the master director now returns to his thriller roots with “The Killer.” The focus here is on an assassin who has to do a job in Paris, but misses his target and sets in motion a fatal chain of events.
With “The Killer,” David Fincher delivers another lesson in precision filmmaking. And here too there is a narrative method, because the ice-cold thriller starring Michael Fassbender (“Shame”) not only follows a character who is extremely obsessed with details, but who is also careful every second to absorb every little detail. to take. in the photo. No wonder Fincher repeated scenes countless times.
‘The Killer’ is largely about professional killing – and that is often quite monotonous. Scout, plan, persevere and move on. And that again and again. However, David Fincher comes in the middle of the film with an action scene that is really worth seeing! Not only because it emphasizes the director’s perfectionism, but also because it really hurts!
An unforgettable action scene
After the assassin botches his mission in the French capital, he gradually ends up in different cities and states. In Florida, the killer initially follows his mandatory work routine, but here too he cannot execute his plan completely smoothly and becomes involved in a fierce fight with a gigantic mountain of meat (played by stuntman Sala Baker).
It’s the only moment where ‘The Killer’ really explodes – and the effect of the scene is obviously much stronger in the context of the rest of the film. However, the fight sequence, choreographed by stunt expert Dave Macomber (“Bahubali 2”, “The Falcon And The Winter Soldier”), is absolutely brilliant in its own right. David Fincher succeeds in something that current action films (including the “John Wick” series) completely miss: this minute-long (in the true sense of the word) blowout between Fassbender and Baker really, really hurts.
Great because authentic
That’s because David Fincher doesn’t want to elevate this scene to a work of dance art (which it still is, of course), but wants to bring the utmost authenticity to the violence. Not only do you feel every blow the two men give each other with absolutely deadly intent. The use of the environment, namely an apartment, is so tangible and physical that you as a viewer only become truly exhausted when the brutal stuff finally comes to an end.
Moderator Pascal also spoke extensively about the film with his guests Christoph Petersen and Björn Becher on the FILMSTARTS podcast Canvas Love. It wasn’t just about the action scene described here, but also about what actually makes David Fincher such an extraordinary director for the trio. Feel free to listen, it’s worth it:
“The Killer” is currently showing in German cinemas. If you plan to see the film on the big screen (which the author of these lines highly recommends due to the film’s audiovisual mastery), you should hurry. The thriller will soon disappear from the cinemas and will be released exclusively as a Netflix subscription from November 10.