The Killer

The Killer (2023) is Fincher's quietest film and takes place almost entirely inside one man's head. An unnamed hitman waits in an apartment in Paris. His inner monologue never stops: discipline, planning, no feeling, no empathy. He has a mantra he repeats to himself. Then he misses the shot, and from that moment the whole mantra collapses. The real idea is that inconsistency. While lecturing himself about professionalism he keeps making mistakes, acting out of anger and breaking his own rules. The voice and what is on screen contradict each other, and the comedy comes from there. It is adapted from the French graphic novel by Matz and Luc Jacamon. The music is part of the storytelling. The killer listens to The Smiths through his earphones while working, and the band plays throughout the film. The music he has chosen to keep himself calm is one of the most depressive bands there is. Fincher's usual precision has become the subject here: the character also measures, lists and tries to control everything. Tilda Swinton's single scene is the best passage in the film. It runs 118 minutes. Good for: Fincher, cold thrillers, and genre filmmaking. Less good for: there is almost no dialogue and little incident; anyone expecting action will not find it. The violence is sudden and graphic.