After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal. A film by David Fincher, starring Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton.

An action thriller film based on the French graphic novel series LE TUEUR (THE KILLER) written by Alexis “Matz” Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, which follows the life of an initially unnamed assassin.

The moment, when it’s time to act, is not when the risk is greatest. The real problems arise in the days, hours, and minutes leading up to the task, and the minutes, hours, and days after. It all comes down to preparation, attention to detail, redundancies, redundancies, and redundancies.

The first 20 minutes of the film follow an unnamed assassin (Michael Fassbender) as he stakes out his target in an under-renovation office across the street. He has been in Paris for five days, and his lack of results is making his employer anxious. The camera follows him closely as he internally monologues about his methods, his cynicism, and lack of empathy, which he believes benefit his job. He periodically checks his pulse, practices yoga, and listens to The Smiths, all while patiently waiting for his target to appear at an unspecified time.

As his target arrives at the penthouse in the dead of night, he is confident in his ability to execute the kill, just like the countless other professional jobs he has taken pride in. He relishes the fact that his reputation and high fees keep clients coming his way. To his shock, and that of the viewer, something unexpected occurs – he misses. His bullet strikes a woman who just happened to be in the line of fire. He attempts another shot, but it is too late; his golden opportunity has vanished. With lightning speed, he gathers his belongings, exits the building, and meticulously destroys and conceals any evidence. He knows exactly what he must do – he must disappear without a trace.

On his flight from Paris bound to Miami, he notices a man in a suit whom he suspects of tailing him. The man’s reappearance at the Miami airport waiting lounge heightens his concerns. To throw off any potential pursuers, he decides to spend a night at a Miami hotel before boarding another flight, this time to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Stick to your plan. Anticipate, don’t improvise. Trust no one. Never yield an advantage. Fight only the battle you’re paid to fight. Forbid empathy. Empathy is weakness. Weakness is vulnerability.

He arrives at his private residence outside of the city. As he pulls up to the gate, he notices a pair of footprints and a dozen cigarette butts, suggesting that someone had been waiting for him. He exits the car cautiously, his gun in hand, and approaches the house. As he enters, he is met with the gruesome sight of bloodstains and shattered glass.

He rushes to the hospital and learns that his girlfriend Magdala (Sophie Charlotte) is being treated for injuries sustained in an assault by two unknown assailants, a woman and a man. It is evident that the assault was not motivated by robbery, as Magdala managed to defend herself by stabbing the male assailant before fleeing into the jungle. Magdala also told her brother Marcus (Emiliano Pernía) that the assailants escaped in a green car resembling a local taxi. He realizes what it all means. His employer wants to tie up all loose ends.

At this point, the protagonist could easily run away, having secured the money and the resources to vanish without a trace. However, he chooses to take it personally, violating his own professional code to hunt down those responsible for the intrusion into his home and the attempted murder of his girlfriend.

David Fincher has never failed to impress. Despite being based on a graphic novel, Fincher’s signature meticulously detailed cinematography is evident in every frame. The Killer is a brutal film that goes beyond expectations. I found it particularly compelling how the camera sometimes lingers for a moment, as if offering the viewer a glimmer of hope that some of the victims might survive. This technique was both unsettling and thought-provoking, adding to the film’s overall intensity.

Michael Fassbender delivers an astonishing performance as a ruthlessly efficient assassin, channeling the eerie, emotionless presence of David 8, the android he portrayed in the film PROMETHEUS. His portrayal captures the chilling detachment of a killing machine, expertly navigating the character’s complex psychological state.

My process is purely logistical, narrowly focused by design. I serve no God or country. I fly no flag. If I’m effective, it’s because of one simple fact. I don’t give a fuck.

The Expert (Tilda Swinton) is arguably the most intriguing supporting character in the film. She portrays another assassin tasked with cleaning up the mess, but she harbors a deep aversion to harming civilians (which is why she refrained from killing Magdala). When the two assassins cross paths at a restaurant, they engage in a thought-provoking conversation. The Expert raises the possibility that the Paris job wasn’t a mere blunder, suggesting that it may have been driven by a subconscious desire for change and excitement, a break from the monotonous routine of his profession. Swinton’s portrayal adds depth and complexity to the narrative, highlighting the psychological toll that a life of violence can take on even the most hardened assassin.

The Killer premiered at the Biennale di Venezia on 3 September 2023. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 27 October, and was made available for streaming on Netflix on 10 November.