A few first-class filmmakers are signing exclusivity deals with the popular streaming platform Netflix. Sometimes questioned by the low quality of most of its original productions, the platform is a warranty for some producers and directors of on-time payment and freedom of creativity. Martin Scorsese‘s The Irishman (2019) and Michael Bay’s 6 Underground (2019), both becoming hit titles in their respective genres, are the most expensive productions of Netflix to date. Also, Rian Johnson has built his successful Daniel Craig starring as Benoit Blanc Knives Out saga under the wings of the streaming platform. Zack Snyder is another popular director who has been housing his latest projects on Netflix having released there his zombies rollercoaster ride Army of the Dead (2021) and currently developing his science-fiction epic saga starting with Rebel Moon (2023) scheduled for a release this December.
Another A-class filmmaker who has signed a 4-deal contract with Netflix is David Fincher. After developing with the company his Mindhunter (2017–2019) TV series and directing one episode of Love, Death & Robots (2019–), his first film for them was the Oscars-winner biography drama Mank (2020). Now, his second movie for the firm is soon coming out, and it is The Killer (2023) where Fincher returns to what he does best: a psychological thriller.
The movie centers on a man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody, and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.
The film is based on the French graphic novel of the same name written by Alexis Nolent, popularly known as Matz, and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. The original collection consists of 12 albums released from 1998 to 2013. This is not the first time a Matz graphic novel has been adapted by Hollywood since his Du plomb dans la tête collection was the source of inspiration for the action thriller Bullet to the Head (2012) directed by Walter Hill and starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Momoa.
The screenplay for The Killer (2023) has been written by Andrew Kevin Walker, known for the texts for Brainscan (1994), Hideaway (1995), 8MM (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and The Wolfman (2010). This is not the first time he has worked with David Fincher since his is the screenplay for Se7en (1995) and also did some writing works for the screenplays of The Game (1997) and Fight Club (1999).
Michael Fassbender returns after a four-year hiatus from acting playing the title role in The Killer (2023). Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, Emiliano Pernía, Gabriel Polanco, and Kerry O’Malley complete the main cast.
The Killer (2023) is Rated R for strong violence, language, and brief sexuality. The movie will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2023, where it is nominated for the Golden Lion for Best Film. After that, it will begin a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2023, via Netflix, before streaming on the platform on November 10, 2023. The first teaser trailer for the movie is out now and you can watch it here.
