EXECUTION IS EVERYTHING.

An assassin’s (Michael Fassbender) botched hit job has personal consequences that leads him on a hunt for the client who hired him. David Fincher reunited with his Se7en scribe for another icy thriller, this time about a killer who carefully follows his strict modus operandi, yet frequently manages to screw things up. That discreet sense of humor adds a welcome layer to this chilly, often intense hunt that has the killer confronting his adversaries one by one, including Tilda Swinton’s equally measured assassin. There’s a lot worth admiring here, but also an emptiness to the story.

2023-U.S. 118 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by David Fincher. Screenplay: Andrew Kevin Walker. Graphic Novel: Alexis ”Matz” Nolent, Luc Jacamon. Cinematography: Erik Messerschmidt. Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross. Cast: Michael Fassbender (The Killer), Tilda Swinton (The Expert), Charles Parnell (The Lawyer), Arliss Howard, Kerry O’Malley, Sophie Charlotte.