There are three quotes in the film that have a strong tie to the motive in David Fincher’s The Killer. The first quote is, “Stick to your plan. Trust no one.” The second quote is, “Stick to your plan. Never yield an advantage.” The third and most authentic quote is, “Stick to the plan. Anticipate, don’t improvise.” These quotes are used repeatedly in a structured narrative of brilliant writing from Fincher. The Killer is outstanding from the opening credits with Michael Fassbender as the lead and the narratorthroughout the film. During various scenarios, however, it is clear he is a man of a few words who is just trying to get the job done. The Killer is pure Fincher right down to the smallest detail. Fincher is an auteur of noir direction whose focus in this film is the life of a career hitman.

Fassbender’s character is simply The Killer. The film begins in France where he is setting up an assassination. He has a set of routines as he prepares for an assignment. He does his workouts and sets up space for assassinations.  He wears a Fitbit device to help him track his heart rate because it helps him establish when to act. The Killer narrates every moment of every step of the film. While in France, he experiences turmoil which causes him to go out on a run to find the people he did assignments for so that the traces of his assassinations do not link to him. 

Watching Fassbender play a man who is completely committed to his routines is quite mesmerizing. He has a setup for new locations, new jobs, and even a setup for failures. His routines involve establishing his contacts, including ones referred to as The Expert (played by Tilda Swinton), The Lawyer-Hodges (Charles Parnell), The Client-Clybourne (played by Arliss Howard), and more. He has a tie to each of these individuals and they each leave a trace. The element of error creates an atmosphere that is a spellbinding puzzle of untraceable espionage. There are moments where The Killer must hide in the shadows, and even then, Fassbender’s narration continues. Fincher keeps his audience engaged throughout the entire unexpected journey of The Killer. The film is filled with deceit and surprises that include evidence and crystal-clear thinking about how to avoid getting caught. The Killer will enthrall its audience until the end.

The question that came to my mind was, “How does The Killer manage normalcy?” The answer is routine, practice, and previous experience with law enforcement as well asconnections and technique. That is also why The Killer tries to clear anything that could identify him. A single trace could put him away for life. From his point of view, he is just an individual doing his job. Fassbender delivers a monumental performance of a solitary man carrying the dark secret of being an assassin. His narration adds to the suspense and provides insights into the pieces of the puzzle that the audience is waiting for. Fincher is effective at playing out his vision by setting up the right lighting, the right cinematography, the right angles, the right writing. The Killer has all of that plus Fassbender’s incredible performance of persistence and refusal to fail, despite the negative consequences.

The different locations in the film will enthrall audiences as they offer an in-depth understanding of the variations in The Killers routine. Whether in France, New Orleans, Chicago or New York, there is always an element of surprise. Fincher’s direction has many moving parts, and they come together in the most daring of ways. Four out of four stars for The Killer.