Hope my research and ideas help you out and offer some new insights! What were your thoughts and ideas around The Killer? I would love to discuss! Let me know below!
I must point out Martz and Jacamon are geniuses, very little of this is Fincher's. Don't believe me? Read the Graphic Novel. This is word for word Martz's dialogue. Fincher is the vehicle however. I don't believe others could have kept the cold, sweaty and boring occasion of the assassin 'watch'. I don't believe you! They would have thrown sandwiches, ladies, or bars into Martz's perfection! He didn't write that shit, he wrote ice bloodied planning!
The twitch in the killers face in the last part might be early signs of facial necrosis caused by a speck of radiation on the cup of coffee by the client
I love how we spend 20 minutes listening to his code about how heartlessness rules the world only to be reveal that he is a hypocrite. When he made the mistake and the first thing he does was visit home, it solidified that he's not one of the few at all. I see the ending not as mercy, but more as the killer being confronted with someone who has truly stripped off all humanity. Someone with no reason to kill other than it makes more business sense. It's the few who he can never be, so he accepted his place as one of the many.
I love your interpretation of the ending as well. Claybourne is truly one of the few, more "apart" than anyone else in the movie, including The Brute, The Expert, and The Killer. That's a great point
Exactly what the op said. It’s like that scene in that stupid movie Baby Driver: I never use the same crew. Except I always use the same driver, and for this job I’m using the same crew as before. 🙄
Ending. The Rich billionaire getting away with away with no repercussions despite being the catalyst for the entire incident. Its the workers underneath who all paid the ultimate price.
The Killer sets up his job in an abandoned Wework office space. Wework closed and laid off 2/3rds of staff, however the CEO is still on the Forbes billionaire list today.
Great Analysis, Lucas. Awesome walkthrough. I think you missed one major clue to the Killer's psyche: The very last shot of the movie. A close-up of the Killer relaxing with his wife. A happy ending indeed but did you notice that Director, David Fincher included a very obvious twitch in the face/eyes of the Killer. If you go back to when he missed the initial target, he also twitched. So you have something substantial regarding how The Bear and the Hunter fable relates to the Killer subconsciously missing the target but i believe that the same "Twitch" that caused him to miss his target (because he was bored, unsatisfied with his life) is ironically the same "Twitch" that will leave him bored and unsatisfied in retirement and cause him to return to his work as a Killer. Notice how Fincher purposely gave the viewers NO details regarding his life with his wife, the dynamics of their relationship, how they met etc. Because all that is just "the Bear" or as Hitchcock would say, the McGuffin needed just to draw the Killer into action: The act of so-called "revenge" was a NEW reason to Hunt the Bear when the old reason became antiquated. Basically the Killer will never be satisfied with his life. Also i think there is a sly allegory that i believe Fincher is telling the viewer regarding the Billionaire escaping to lead a happy life while all the "workers" get sacrificed for the "greater good". Is that not a criticism on Capitalism, particular in America? Billionaires escape punishment while everyone underneath pays for the crimes of the elite and powerful. Cheers!
Yes. What we have in Amerika is not capitalism, however. It's National Socialism in which government grants favors and monopoly status to companies which grease their oily palms.
The Killer DIES in the end. The twitch is the poison taking effect that the expert dealt him. Killer even describes this kind of poisoning death to someone else, that it starts with a twitchy face.....that's why it's HER life that will flash before his eyes when he dies....not a happy ending
I also love how Fincher in 30 seconds basically shows the Killers assortment of assassinations on his resume with the starting credits, perfect use of time for story.
I kind of agree with your take on why he let the billionaire go. But I also think that the conversation with the expert gave him a kind of epiphany. He'd weighed up the fact that he could easily kill him, but also knew it it was a high profile kill which would bring a lot of heat. After speaking with the potential victim he realised how naive he was, that there was nothing personal in it and also that all other links in the chain back to him were dead. So he opted to scare the shit out of him and escape the fate of the expert. I'm not sure it was mercy. More of a quit while you're ahead kinda thing.
Thanks for that - excellent 👍. I literally was confused and benefit of the why , but what you say is surely on point. “ cut his losses “ sort of thing , right .
@@serenityinside1 definitely how I saw it. No redemption arc, he was still a cold blooded killer. He just understood from his final victim that he'd eventually end up going the same way if he didn't pack it in.
This was my interpretation of the film's story, and watching it over and over again only make it my favorite film of the year even more. It's a story about a hitman coming to terms with the reality that he's just a spoke on the wheel hired to do the dirty work of the few, only to recognize that 1) he himself isn't as emotionally numb to his profession and 2) he is also one of the many being taken advantage of by the few. It's a brilliant commentary and Fincher delivered yet again another gem.
Remember his words : he didn't say 'I'm gonna kill them, because I want my revenge'. He said 'I swear I will not allow something like this to ever happen, again'. I always thought the Killer was much more motivated by his survival instincts (a point the graphic novels often remind us about - especially when the titular character shows his undying admiration for crocodiles, since he views them as creatures who can easily adapt to so many environments and situations, thanks to their instinct, strength and wits) than by a desire for revenge. Sure, he cared about his girlfriend, but the point was not 'just' to avenge her - or to seek revenge for what the Brute and the Expert did to his house. The 'real' point was to prevent any and all potential future attacks. He had to take down those who could track him down or attack his girlfriend again (either because they knew too much about him - like the Lawyer and Dolores - or because they were talented enough to succeed again - like the Brute and the Expert, who, by the way, knew at least one of his addresses and could easily follow bread crumbs back to him, anywhere on the globe - or because they really needed to erase all traces of their involvement - like the Client, who could just contact another contract killing agency and send someone else after him, all over again). He had to deal with every single loose end and cut every single tie, if he wanted to live free and safe. The one and only reason he didn't kill the Client is because it would have been too difficult and complicated for him to deal with an army of investigators who would hunt him down (which would have defeated the purpose of 'preparing for retirement') - so he did the next best thing : he threatened him.
Thank you!! And yes there’s this super dry humour to the main character and the details of the movie that are sooo subtle and satirical, it’s super funny when you catch it, so glad you brought it up!
The part that showed me that the Killer had changed the most was Dolores. Him making it quick & look like an accident (broken neck from falling down the stairs) was the most caring thing he did all movie.
I give the killer 4 stars. I thought the way the film was edited, styled, acted and paced were unique in their own way, (considering this is a Fincher film). I thought the way the killer when he said he was one of a few to still be hunting at the beginning to now one in a many to not be hunting was clever for the character, considering if you take the bear story from tilda swindon charceter. Also liked how he plays music throughout the film, it shows how he trys to distract himself from the things that makes if for who he is which try's to hide in most scenes, which is quite common to most of society people. Not as better than se7en or fight club but still underated in my opinion
Yes! I found the inner-monologues really entertaining, and like you said, it was great to find out that it all tied together thematically with the story and the other characters. I’m glad you brought up the music as well, totally agree with your theory. The music during the sniper scene switching back and forth with the monologue was super sick too. And I agree, it’s not on the level of the Fincher classics but still has a lot of classic Fincher style and substance to enjoy. Thanks so much for watching!!
Not sure how ppl are missing that in the scene just before, he told the billionaire about a deadly drug that would manifest as a nervous twitch at first.
The only thing I got from the movie was “the bear and hunter story”. Basically I thought they were showing how this was the only way he knew how to feel alive! Kinda like the “Hurtlocker”
I’m relatively new to your channel and rely on video essays a lot in the high school where I teach an English class called Novels Into Film. Found you with your Wonder video. Just wanted to let you know that your depth and insight are phenomenal. Definitely up there with Every Frame a Painting and Studio Binder. Keep up the great work and thanks!
Praise from an English teacher for me is among the highest of praise haha because my English teachers are the ones who got me into this kind of stuff. So happy to hear you've enjoyed what you've seen, it really means a lot! Thank you so much!!
Another reason why they don't have 'real' names : In the graphic novels, we still don't know the titular character's name. There's one woman who calls him by a name, claiming he's her estranged brother, but he denies it and we still don't know if that truly was his sister and if that truly was his name. Yet another reason : In the graphic novels, there's this sympathetic fool called Mariano who is stupid enough to constantly call the main character 'Tueur' ('Killer'), out loud, as if that really were his name. Than again, he's also the one stupid enough to give him the fake ID of one 'Marc Bataille' ('Marc Battle') - much to the Killer's annoyance, as he expects it to raise suspicion.
One critical piece…the use of a number of songs by The Smiths. An ordinary band name but ironically, one of the most distinguished and famous groups of all time….and yet you won't hear them on the radio unless it's some alternative station doing an oldies weekend or lunch hour. Great analysis of this excellent film.
I'm realizing the killer didn't buy bullets because he was never planning on killing the billionaire. He said somewhere in the movie that law enforcement looks more into billionaire deaths than the average person.
Holy crap, this explanation was so good! I've watched other videos about this movie, but this one finally made the movie make perfect sense. Thank you for breaking down the themes and character development!
It's a great take. I like it. But rather than The Killer reconnecting fully with his humanity and leaving his past behind I think it's more a case of him learning to live with it. I think you really have to look deeply into the mindset of people who become involved in this line of work. The military has invested A LOT of time, effort and resources into creating the most efficient killers possible. It's a difficult process which has taken many, many years to perfect (the methods used were first discussed comprehensively in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket"). Unfortunately, once you break down a human being's moral framework and refashion it into that of a killer there's no going back. It's one of the reasons so many men who have served in special forces units find it extremely difficult adjusting to civilian life once they finish their time. There is no "reset button" for The Killer. But it is possible for him to learn how to live with that side of his nature. Why didn't he kill Claybourne? I don't think it's The Killer's humanity which is in play here because Claybourne has none. Consider the final line in The Killer's "Rules", "Each and every step of the way, ask yourself, "What's in it for me?"". Killing Claybourne might give him some personal satisfaction. But by leaving him alive with the knowledge that he will die if any attempt is made on not just The Killer's life but - more importantly - his partner's he strikes a far more optimal outcome. Having a billionaire in your debt has its advantages.
Excellent analysis. Mine took me 47 minutes to get through. I’m impressed that you made all your points in 15! The only place where we see the film a bit differently is in the conclusion. Both in what it means and how that relates to the premise. But this is fantastic. Nice work!
You are so intelligent and articulate. I love your analysis of each movie so much ... and you have encouraged me to check out so many movies that I have passed by previously. New subbie.
Omg you are too kind haha thank you so much! And I’m so glad the videos also encourage you to try new things, that’s really fulfilling to hear as a film lover, it means so much!
Thank you so much! The ending is so unconventional which shocked me as well, and the scene with Tilda was my favorite in the whole movie, so happy to hear you enjoyed this!!
Great breakdown. I loved it and still digesting. One question I have for you, is why do you think the scene with the Brute has such a feel and look of a video game?
Just finished the movie I blame bad cgi. It was how I felt for one of the wolverine movies where he was fighting his brother. Really bad cgi. They probably didn't know how to shoot the scenes well for fighting so they did that. And sadly turned out terrible. but they could not reshoot the scenes due to money is usually the issue.
The Killer talks about a lot of things, rules, laws, but he does not follow them, he is just like most people part of the mass, does not know who he is and always searching for meaning.
Wonderful analysis! Two questions that are bugging me though? 1. Why did the Killer purposely cut himself when shaving, immediately after botching his first hit? 2. What did his wife/girl friend mean when she said, via her brother, in the hospital, “There are worse things than what they did to me.” Do you think she was implying, that giving up her man would be more than she could bare (she does make a point to tell him that she was strong for him and said nothing about him, or was said statement relating to something else?
Because, quiet simply, the movie is a comedy. It's a dark farce, not unlike an early Coen Brother's movie where human error causes a well oiled plan to fall apart. @@elaineatnip7360
Hiding the corpse, after killing Dolores, would not have been the best thing to do. It's easier and faster to let her corpse fall down the stairs (to simulate and accident) and get the hell out of the house as soon as possible (before anything unplanned happens), than to take the time and the effort of getting her corpse back to the van and disposing of it, like he did with the Lawyer, all while the disappearance would have looked too suspicious and drawn the police's attention (remember : 2 coworkers disappearing on the same day ?).
About the red herring on the plane : Good job understanding he's just there to show us how paranoid the Killer is becoming. However, it could also be another way the movie 'bends' and 'adapts' the source material, as, in the graphic novel, a policeman does board a plane, to track him down, and he even gets close enough to see where he lives and spy on him, until the Killer ambushes him. So, this character from the movie could also be there to make those who have read the graphic novels wonder if he will be another antagonist. It's not just the Killer being extra cautious. It's there to mess with the readers.
Omg hey! I can very much understand that pov haha I won't argue with anyone who wasn't too hot on this movie, but I'm happy you liked the video! I've added Pan's Labyrinth to my Classics list, I've actually never seen it, but can't wait now!
Another thought: the company name on the door is “WeWork.” My first viewing of the film was about a week after WeWork went bankrupt. When Fincher made the movie, the WeWork office was (story-wise) just going in; when I watched it, the office was (in my mind) being moved out and refurbished
Excellent analysis, about the Expert noticing the Killer's empathy emerging, but are we sure it was not just a ploy to appeal to his better nature and lower his guard just enough for him to fall for her last trap, later ? She did try to stab him, by pretending to be a lady in need of a gentleman's assistance, after all. Also, he had already established that he expected her to live in a much more secluded place, like the Brute, so attacking her at her house would have potentially drawn too much attention from the neighboring community, and he probably didn't want to spend too much time studying her life and planning for the best opportunity, since she could have noticed him and/or grown suspicious too soon, because, for all he knew, she could have learned about the Brute's death and she could have been expecting him before too long).
Hello from Germany, I will never go to Paris again, I didn't know that Parisians think so negatively about us as tourists. However, I would never walk around in clothes like that.
The movie was dope. Gonna watch it a few more times because i love the narration. Notice the twitch on the Killers face in the last scene. Another video described it as a possible "discomfort" for the Killer. Because he's now giving up on his lethal nature. He's becoming human again.
The eye twitch at the end of the film was very important. Since he stayed cold faced the entire film. I think that should be an addition to this review. Just my opinion. But I enjoyed your take otherwise. Given what I just stated, I'm not 100% sure of the intent. Either it's a sign of his humanity for now becoming part of the "many", or possibly regret knowing that it isn't truly him and he will continue to have the urge to resume his career as an assassin. I guess it's up for debate. Great take though!
oh yeah the killer is so smart by letting her fall down the steps. The police are so gullible they won't notice the marks on her wrists from when she was tied up. 😆
Excellent analysis! I watched a few reviews already but yours is the best. You understood the themes and so beautifully brought it all together! Subscribed!!!!!! 👏🏻
Omg thank you! This really means a lot considering how good some of the other creators are. So happy to hear you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for subbing!!
If a Film, Theatrical play, TV show, book or song has to have it's ending explained then the storytelling in it hasn't been good enough to keep the audience interested.
The twitch at the end may also imply that somewhere along the path of revenge - most likely from sharing a drink with The Expert, he ingested a chemical that would lead to facial necrosis, and his slow death. This was foreshadowed throughout the film, even showing a coffee being made at the end- just after threatening Claymore with killing him in that same manner. Great detail.
He twitched after missing the shot in the beginning too, so don’t think he was poisoned. More of a tick related to stress or unhappiness, agitated etc.
Your analysis tied up a few loose thoughts for me. However, I'd have put consequences for the Killer's slipping into humanity without ensuring he could do so safely. I'd have put a clue that his - I thought GF, not wife - was going to kill him soon. Analogous to the end of "Basic Instinct."
I also compared The Killer with American Psycho (2000 movie). Patrick Bateman in American Psycho IS a psycho through and through no matter what happens to him; he is too far gone. Whereas The Killer's main character clearly struggles as he realizes his true "human nature".
The killer was poisoned by the expert with the radioactive spec. The twitch on his face in the end tells the tale. I get that he was reuniting with his humanity .
In the title “Killer” is spelled. K_ _ . LLER. It looks like a morse code letter is substituted for “I”. However, morse code for “I” is . . not _ _ . (Which is “G”). So I guess the _ _ . (Plus the heart superscript), is for something else. Any idea what the distortion of the word Killer is about.
The point of the joke is not that the hunter is after a little bear lovin and misses his shots on purpose. The joke is he's a terrbile shot! The Killer misses because he messed up, not because there was a sub conscious desire. It's a similar scenario to the one at the end of Day Of The Jackal (also a missed shot in Paris) where Eddie Fox misses De Gaulle because he bends over. He makes a mistake, but the events thereafter pave the way for his return to humanity. The visitor that almost enters the Wework space is another little hint that the Killer is slipping somewhat. Despite his regime, he errs because he's human. Simple as that. It may lead to a sort of redemption, but The Killer is not sub consciously looking to become more humane. It just happens as a result of his mistake. That isn't the only theme of the film. I notice references to many of Fincher's previous movies. It might not be as apparent as in Fight Club, or The Social Network, but there's certainly a critique on the tech filled modern world we live in.
I saw this film and for me the problem lay in the casting and the story's pacing. Mr Fassbender is a tremendous actor but he dominates the screen almost to the point of making everything around him irrelevant in a similar way to how Lawrence Oliver did. I think that the film would have been just as successful as it was if it only featured the Fassbender character and no other human being. A similar problem shadows the work of Nicholas Cage but I am not saying they are alike as actors. When other actors entered any scene they seemed to be invading the "Fassbender Space" .
Wrong. The killer fucks up and goes against his wanky false-bravado inner monologue at almost every turn. He usually only gets out of the fucked up situations he gets himself into through miraculous movie-plot luck (another joke). He wastes all of the high-end low-risk detailing he does on jobs by failing to get the critical essentials right, despite constantly repeating cautions to himself in the form of delusional reassurance. Throughout the movie he fails to recognise, acknowledge and address his own shortcomings, which are so stacked by the end of the movie that it can't be anything other than comedic. Only at the end does he get to a position of potentially admitting that he is not exceptional, but even then it is non-committal and served with obvious insecurity at the thought (nervous eye twitch). The killer gets information regarding that the counter contract that was called on him is no longer a threat to him, but he persists with going after those people, and then when he gets to the client he lets him live in what he expects will be a tortuous paranoia, failing to realise that the man he threatens clearly has no qualms about calling contracts on people, so much so that he doesn't immediately realise who the killer is and why he's there. This immediately puts himself and his girlfriend back in more danger than they otherwise would have been, completely undoing the team-america-style promise he makes his girlfriends brother - "nothing like this will be ever allowed to happen again." This movie is a total joke at the rightful expense of hyper-individualised males who take their individuality as a sign of masculine strength and exceptionalism, rather than the political abasement and victimization that it actually is. Scared men pretending to be brave as usual.
I think that The Killer miss th target purposely , because he wanted to see th consequences of that and how people involved in this job are going to react to his failed Job. This is pertaining to the Grizzly Bear Story told by The Expert., since the hunter dose not come to hunt bear , third time . He spares the rich businessman, because he gets what he wants a Honest wife Millions of Dollars and a great life . Killing him would make no purpose
Is it possible The Expert poisoned The Killer? She said she had prepared for the moment. Ordering a flight of whisky and her bottle seemed odd. And she said he would remember her in his last moments. It would fit with her comments on why The Killer wanted to sit across from her and her bear story. Further, slow poisoning is mentioned twice in the movie - once in the beginning and later in The Killer's conversation with Claybourne. The twitch could be the first signs of him being part of The Many. Yes, a little far-fetched but ....
......................I'm not letting go if you were the center of my wife's ravishing. Your 'feelings' don't mean shit to me, nor would I trust a person under the gun (they say all kinds of shit to get away, if you let them go, they can attack you again, and a billionaire could do that easily as effectively as the first time.) If I believed that bonafide lie, I'd still go to the bow wrap. This is really weird time to get romantic about life, why kill The Beast and The Professional at all then? They just did it for money. Ah, the French. Confound me again!
Great analysis. I loved how full of shit he was. Despite what he tells himself he immediately does the exact opposite. This is something i can relate too🤣
Another nice analysis, thanks. Just watched it, I wasn't so impressed I'm afraid. Here's some whinges. I didn't find the film that original or engaging (except for when Tilda Swinton brought it alive). When you have such a cold central character you spend the whole film with, that's a challenge I guess, and his voiced thoughts were a nice introduction to him, but felt a bit flat after a while, rather than intriging. And I found the old trope of the wife only being there as a plot device to trigger the anti-hero's journey arc annoying, c'mon Fincher. As well as contradictory to the central self-narration of him as this shut down socopathic lone wolf who eschews meaningful human contact. Seems like that must mean it was more of a Day Job persona he'd adopted. So the wife plot device kinda undermined the theme of someone finding his humanity I think. It flummoxed me when she turned up anyway! Another annoyance was the comic book shallow presentation of the few/many as the main theme. It was still OK, I just hoped for more. You've pointed out stuff here that made it richer in retrospect. I liked that we were just thrown into his life at a key point which we had to piece together, and looking back your idea that the missed shot was his subconscious sabotaging the path he was on is nice. He knew that was a choice, but he needed to be snapped out of his nihilistic trance through nearly losing it. I missed all the branding stuff too! Good job.
Ok, I think I maybe enjoyed the film more than you, but I still somehow agree with everything you said. It is a bit of a dry experience because, like you said, the storytelling style and the main character have the same cut-and-dry nature. I hoped for more just like you because it is a Fincher crime thriller. It's certainly not on the level of quite a few of his others, but still a decent movie for me. The intro, the scene with Tilda Swinton, and the fight with the Brute were the highlights for me. But nonetheless, I totally see where you're coming from with every point you listed. And I'm super glad to hear you enjoyed the video! Thank you!!
@@lucasblue20 Thanks for the thoughtful reply. You're my go-to reviewer, you always find stuff I'd missed and add to the way I appreciate a film or show. I was interested in what you thought of this one. Seems we liked and were iffy about similar bits, but you liked it more overall, which is fair enough. I don't know why you don't have loads more subs - your reviews are a cut above most.
I really liked this movie and glad you focused so much on the Killer’s humanity. It made me see more of what’s within him. Thanks for the insightful review! -Felix Unger 😉
I like David Fincher but this movie is a big flop for me story wise and lack of action , I like the dialogs thogh. the protagonist killed so many innocent people and get away with it and enjoying his time in the Pacific this is not a good ending.
The cab driver was completely in on the hit. He wasn't an innocent cab driver those two killers hired accidentally. Firstly, he would never have driven them into a jungle even if they paid him well, the petty crime rate in the Dominican Republic is high. Secondly, they wouldn't let him live after the hit if he was just a normal cab driver, too risky.
@ktom5262 says who. It's the DR . He's got a white woman wituba british accent in the car. He's going to make that drive. Your other point makes sense. Still not sold without context clues
@@crakface A drive - yes, within the city. Not to a fucking jungle, kilometers away from the city. I lived in Latin America, unfortunately a cab driver's job isn't safe there, lots of petty crime etc. I don't think he knew her, but I think he knew that local Dominican thug. Also, pay attention to how he nonchalantly offered the Killer a smoke and asked if he can smoke himself? In a surprisingly relaxed manner. Shows he was used to be around hitmen and people with guns. Right after that the Killer shoots him.
@ktom5262 another thing. He didn't kill the cab owner but killed the driver. How does he know this isn't a whole team. That's why I think it's random..he makes 1 look like a robbery and the other is a murder. Makes no sense. Only do the job you were paid to do is what he says. Shows he is slipping.
