"The Killer" Won't Be A Classic, But It's Still A Solid Piece Of David Fincher's Filmography
David Fincher rules. He is one of the few filmmakers left whose movies I will run to see regardless of the premise or subject matter. He can make anything interesting. He teamed up with Netflix again for his newest film, "The Killer. "His previous film was "Mank, "which I came into with the highest of expectations and felt slightly let down by. It's a good movie, but not one of Fincher's finest works. I have similar feelings towards "The Killer," though I still recommend it.
The typical staples of David Fincher's mastery are fully displayed in "The Killer. "The visuals and lighting are endlessly slick. I don't know if there's any Director in Hollywood who is better at establishing tone as quickly as David Fincher does. Every one of his movies Has a level of intensity you just can't ignore. Michael Fassbender is effectively cold as the unnamed lead. This is a great role for him. The guy is a brilliant actor, but he's had a tendency to pick some horrible scripts. He always shines when he can work with a great Director.
I complain all the time about the pacing of films. I don't take back my criticisms. I think most modern movies are really poorly paced, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy slow-moving films. Fincher has made several slow movies that I adore. "Zodiac" is nearly a 3-hour film, and I think it's one of his best. "The Killer" is an intentionally slow-moving film. I think some people may find it dull, but the pacing didn't bother me. It may have gotten to me had I seen this in the theater, but I watched it on Netflix and didn't find the film boring.
I totally loved how brutal the action was in this. Fincher has never been a Director known for pulling any punches. The action is stylish, but it doesn't feel overly choreographed. There is a very authentic feel to this film. It almost feels like a hitman procedural in some ways. There is a lack of character development, but again, it didn’t bother me because I know what Fincher was trying to do here. The movie is intentionally trying to lack humanity. 
The film, much like its main character, is intentionally cold. There's nothing wrong with that. It definitely enhances the style, but I don't think it makes this movie particularly memorable. Every David Fincher film I see has something that I come away from that sticks in the back of my head well after the movie is over. I enjoyed this film quite a bit, but nothing in it blew me away. I think in the long run, this will be one of the more forgotten pieces of his filmography, though it's still better than most films.
I definitely recommend people watch this. I don’t foresee it becoming something that will get nominated for many Oscars, though I’ve never viewed Fincher as a Director who cares about something like that. In an age in which studio interference is so prevalent, I think it’s very cool that a Director like Fincher is given full creative control over his works. That doesn’t necessarily make this particular movie a masterpiece, but it makes all of his movies worth seeing. He remains one of the best and most ambitious directors in Hollywood. 
