David Fincher’s The Killer makes heavy use of voiceover narration, but the device’s purpose is not as clear-cut as it initially appears. The Killer is based on the graphic novel series of the same name and follows an assassin who becomes involved in an international manhunt after a hit goes wrong. Throughout the film, the character’s interior monologue runs nearly non-stop, filling out the majority of the non-verbal sequences with the mantras and methods of Michael Fassbender’s unnamed assassin.
The Killer might be accused of implementing a redundant voiceover, as the character rarely describes anything that isn’t readily evident on-screen. However, the device’s true intention is not to inform the viewer, but to deceive them. Fincher is no stranger to unreliable narration; the filmmaker employs similar tricks in both Fight Club and Gone Girl, both of which present the apparently straightforward monologues of protagonists who are actually harboring major secrets. There are no shocking twists in The Killer, but the inner monologue is once again used as a sly means of supporting a false narrative.
The Deeper Meaning Behind The Narration In The Killer Explained
As The Killer opens, the purpose of the film’s voiceover narration seems obvious; internal monologue is a handy way of introducing information, as well as getting the audience into the perspective of a laconic and unsympathetic character. However, as the film’s exciting incident is triggered, a discrepancy in the voiceover narration begins to appear. While the Killer’s narration paints him as a stone-cold, hyper-competent professional who doesn’t “give a f*ck,” the character’s actions gradually widen the chasm between his self-perception and his actual self.
The Killer’s story is peppered with moments of incompetence that jar with the methodical and calculating monologue. Moments like Hodges’s accidental nail gun death, the Killer taking the shot in Paris when his heart rate is above 60, and his being taken by surprise at the Brute’s Florida home are all lapses in the protagonist’s judgment. The character is certainly capable, but not as capable as his inner voice makes him out to be. Indeed, it’s the unexpectedly funny moments where the Killer’s voiceover is at odds with what’s seen on-screen that qualifies The Killer as David Fincher’s first comedy movie.
How The Killer Sells Michael Fassbender’s Character As A Professional
Despite Michael Fassbender’s The Killer character constantly slipping up, the overriding impression he gives is still that of a competent professional. The film achieves this by slipping the viewer into the same state of mesmerizing method in which the Killer himself lives. The pairing of the character’s constant, even-keeled voiceover with Fincher’s disciplined direction pushes the viewer to see the Killer as a paragon of efficiency. The audience is placed within the protagonist’s egotistical headspace, training them to be just as shocked as he is when things go wrong, as they often do throughout The Killer.
