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David Fincher wants The Killer to make you nervous – especially the next time you’re shopping at Home Depot.
Fincher spoke at length about the action thriller at the Venice Film Festival press conference on Sunday, detailing how he developed his lead character, a calm and calculated assassin played by Michael Fassbender.
“Compassion was the last thing on my mind about this character,” Fincher said. “He didn’t have to be scary. You know, the banality of evil. I hope someone sees this movie and becomes very nervous about the person standing behind them in line at Home Depot.”
The killer. Michael Fassbender as an assassin in The Killer. Cr. Netflix ©2023 Courtesy of Netflix
Viewers are invited into the mind of Fassbender’s character, known in the film simply as “The Killer.” He does yoga, eats bunless McGriddles, and listens to the Smiths as he prepares to shoot his targets.
Of choosing the Smiths as the soundtrack for the killer’s escapades, Fincher said, “I knew I wanted to use ‘How Soon Is Now,’ and I liked the idea of that song, specifically as a way to ease his fears.” Me liked it as a meditation tape, I found it amusing and funny. And I don’t think there’s a recording artist’s library of music that’s so sardonic and witty at the same time. We don’t get too much access to who this guy is, and I thought through his mixtape it would be fun that that would be our window into him.”
The “Fight Club” and “Gone Girl” director also weighed in on the ongoing actor and writer strikes, saying he “can understand both sides.”
“I don’t know what it says about the industry. I’m very sad, obviously I’m in the middle of both parties,” he said. “This film was made during the pandemic and I never want to make a film with a visor again, but still: [we] I’ve just had three years of having to put down our brushes and walk away – the idea of this continuing, especially now, is very sad to me. I can understand both sides and I think all we can do is encourage them to talk.”