It’s hard to say whose return I’m excited about more – director David Fincher’s or actor Michael Fassbender’s. Both are back with the new film “The Killer”, a scintillating action neo-noir for Netflix. It’s Fincher’s first feature since 2020’s “Mank” and only his second in nearly ten years. As for the once notoriously busy Fassbender, following 2019’s “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” he took a break from acting and tried his hand at auto racing – a long held passion of his.

“The Killer” is a perfect vehicle for the return of both Fincher and Fassbender. It’s true that hitman stories are nothing new. They’ve come in droves lately. But rarely has one featured the kind of artistry and verve that Fincher delivers here. And Fassbender’s ice-cold charisma and steely magnetism creates and maintains a gripping presence throughout this lean, stylish, and utterly captivating thriller.

“The Killer” is based on the French graphic novel series of the same name written by Alexis “Matz” Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. Fincher doesn’t lose sight of his film’s roots but he does incorporate his own distinct style which you’ll notice from the opening credits onward. While Fincher’s touches are easy to identify, this is hardly a simple rinse and repeat of his past work. The film is a richly crafted fresh spin on a well-traveled genre that’s every bit as meticulous and calculated as its titular lead character.

As for Fassbender, he’s the centerpiece of nearly every scene. The film opens with a prolonged introduction to his character – a proficient assassin on a job in Paris. Through observation and a series of absorbing internal monologues, we’re able to put together a revealing profile of a methodical and efficient killer – a fiercely focused no-named protagonist who visualizes every detail and calculates ever scenario.

In this brilliantly precise opening Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker paint a vivid portrait of the hitman and his psyche. We first meet him as he patiently watches for his target from an abandoned top-floor office suite in Paris. As he waits he routinely monitors his heart rate, does yoga exercises, and listens to music from The Smiths to help him mellow out.

He operates by a very strict set of rules which he constantly repeats inside his head. “Stick to your plan. Anticipate, don’t improvise. Trust no one. Forbid empathy. Never yield an advantage. Fight only the battle you’re paid to fight.” It’s the kind of intense laser focus that makes him good at his job but also chilling. Call it professionalism meets sociopathy.

After thoroughly convincing us of his protagonist’s expertise, Fincher throws us a curveball when the hitman botches the job and misses his target. He quickly flees into the city, blending in like a chameleon until he can catch a flight undetected. Soon he’s leaving Paris en route to his hideaway in the Dominican Republic. But when he arrives he discovers his girlfriend (Sophie Charlotte) beaten within an inch of her life by assassins sent to clean up all the loose ends from the Paris job.

But what they don’t realize is that they’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. Suddenly our protagonist is ready to break his own rules in order pay back those who’ve come after him. First he pays a visit to his handler Eddie Hodges (the always enjoyable Charles Parnell) in New Orleans. Afterwards he squares off against a hulking brute (Sala Baker) in Florida. Later he sits down with a more cerebral assassin (Tilda Swinton) in New York.

Fincher splinters his story into chapters, each named after the next city the hitman visits on his hunt for revenge. Each stop plays like its own procedural as he rigorously tracks down and ruthlessly executes his targets. Through it all Fincher’s steady screw-tightening builds some great tension within the film’s effectively deliberate and deceptively layered frame. And it’s driven by Fassbender’s shrewdly calibrated performance. He projects an impenetrable and ever-composed exterior. Yet inside, his betraying inner voice makes us question much of what we see.

“The Killer” has a cool and alluring style but with a gritty veneer. It’s as if Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Le Samourai” was reimagined by Brian De Palma. The action comes in spurts and often leaves indelible impressions (Fincher shoots one of the best hand-to-hand fight sequences you’ll see). And it’s all accentuated by yet another simmering score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

But perhaps most appealing is how Fincher embraces and subverts genre expectations. From one angle he has delivered a pretty straightforward hitman movie. But as you look closer you see the markings of a filmmaker with more on his mind. They’re markings that go beyond mere craftsmanship and execution (although those things are critical). And ultimately that is what sets this film apart. “The Killer” will show in select theaters on October 27th before streaming on Netflix November 10th.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS