Netflix’s #1 Movie Is A Violent Crime Thriller From A Master Director

The plot for The Killer is simple, but perfectly delivered as the titular unnamed assassin finds himself on the run after a job goes horribly wrong. Tasked with what should be a quick and easy job, the Killer accidentally shoots the wrong person, and has to flee from the scene. Using a number of aliases, the Killer flees to the United States, but suspects he’s being followed after botching the job, despite his preparation and years of experience as a hired gun.

The Killer has reason to suspect that his handler, Hodges, wants him dead after messing up what should have been a by-the-numbers assassination, and quickly gets to work figuring out who’s trying to kill him so he can stay one step ahead of his antagonist and live to see another day. But as he meets other people involved in the conspiracy, it’s clear that the Killer is living in a world of deception, and he’s right to be distrustful of whoever he encounters.

Though we can’t get much into The Killer’s third act without spoiling some of the narrative that you’d probably rather see unfold on-screen, you can rest assured that tensions continue to rise as our titular assassin tries to make sense of the situation, and not only tie up loose ends of his own, but survive so he could either keep on killing in a professional capacity, or finally retire.

But it’s worth noting that The Killer’s appeal very much comes from the idea that even the most careful of assassins can experience a life-altering lapse in judgment, and it shows the audience that even a seasoned veteran can make mistakes that put their life in the balance.

The Killer saw its September 3 premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, and was met with critical claim. After its limited theatrical release via Netflix, it found its permanent home on the streaming platform, and is currently sitting at the number one spot. Though the film was nominated for a Golden Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival, it lost to the black comedy fantasy film, Poor Things, but its Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced soundtrack won the Premio Soundtrack Stars Award.

As for overall critical reception, The Killer currently has an 86 percent critical score against an audience score of 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Known for his dark style and cinematographic grit, David Fincher is said to have outdone himself with yet another provocative crime thriller. Though a tear still comes to our eyes when we recall the fact that Mindhunter will never get renewed for a third season, we at the very least have The Killer as a vehicle that will take us through the inner workings of organized crime while exposing its ugly underbelly.

David Fincher has subverted audience expectations ever since his 1992 Alien 3 directorial debut. It didn’t take long for the director to show us what he’s capable of with the profoundly disturbing twist-ending we witnessed in Se7en, and the highly quotable Edward Norton and Brad Pitt starring Fight Club. The Killer expertly leans into what made Fincher’s past work so iconic, while pushing the director into new and refreshing territory.

And if you don’t believe us, we just need to remind you that a movie doesn’t just snag the number one spot on the Netflix Top 10 by accident. If you’re familiar with Fincher’s past work, then you know all too well that he’s an expert at thrusting his viewers into uncomfortable situations while staying grounded in his storytelling.

Not only is The Killer calm, cool, and collected, it also has enough suspense to keep you at the edge of your seat from start to finish, making it yet another David Fincher masterpiece that you need to add to your Netflix Queue immediately.