The Killer

Movies about assassins almost always fall into the forgettable B-movie action-thriller variety, however there are some exceptions. Michael Fassbender stars in this slow burn thriller as a skilled assassin who fails an assignment. The first 20 minutes of the film show Fassbender waiting patiently for events to line up to take out his latest target focusing on both the methodical routine and readiness he sticks to and the large amount of downtime, boredom, and waiting involved. When the hit goes wrong, out killer flees the scene and makes his escape only to discover his employers have decided to take precautions and remove him as well.

Fassbender narrates much of the film. That, the story being broken into chapters, and the old school low-tech approach to his methods give the film a bit of a pulp noir feel as he sets out to put things right for himself and the girlfriend (Sophie Charlotte) who is attacked by his former employers in his absence.

Director David Fincher is in good form with The Killer and Fassbender provides the kind of protagonist he needs to sell the story about a killer who keeps his emotions in check even when the world is out to get him. The film is stylish and more cerebral than expected, only at one point devolving in the action movie the title might suggest. While it doesn't rate as Fincher's best, The Killer is an intriguing look into the mind of a professional assassin and the cold calculations necessary for him to survive every step of the way.

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• Title: The Killer
• IMDb: link