Director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker later joined forces for the first time in nearly three decades—since Se7en: The Seven Deadly Sins (1995), to be precise—with a film adaptation of the French graphic novel Le Tueurby Alexis Nolent. To no one’s surprise, the result has been praised by the specialized press and film buffs. The outcome, however, feels anticlimactic. Why does the film end that way? Next, we present to you the explained ending of The Killer in the words of David Fincher.
In this thriller, Michael Fassbender plays an unnamed hitman who, despite his rigid self-imposed rules and laser-focused mentality, botches a job in Paris at the beginning of the film. That has immediate and brutal consequences on his private life: a raid on his remote home in the Dominican Republic, which leaves his girlfriend Magdala (Sophie Charlotte) seriously hospitalized. During the rest of the film, we see the execution of his revenge with international scope.
The ending explained The murdererby David Fincher
However, the mission does not end as expected. After Fassbender’s character methodically locates and eliminates anyone who played a role in his girlfriend’s injuries, we arrive at the final boss: Claybourne (Arliss Howard), aka “The Client.” The billionaire who ordered the original job and allegedly ordered the attack on the Killer for failing. But that was not the case.
After infiltrating his apartment at midnight, the Killer confronts a pathetic and terrified Claybourne. He confesses that it was the first time he hired a hitman. And, actually, it was Hodges, the lawyer (Charles Parnell), who suggested retaliation as “insurance.” But Claybourne also doesn’t seem to understand—or intended to know—what exactly that meant. The Client only paid the extra sum to “cover the tracks” and forgot about the whole matter. He doesn’t even understand who exactly the person in front of him is or why he is paying him this chilling visit.
The Killer digests all this information and makes a decision: he will let Claybourne go without a single scratch. But if the Client decides to mess with him again, he will now suffer a horrible death. After all the blood spilled, why allow his main objective to go unpunished?
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For director David Fincher, the answer is simple: pragmatism. Claybourne is not a threat in any way to the Assassin. Unlike the rest of the victims he left in his path for retribution, there is no imminent risk if he decides to spare her life.
“[Claybourne] He is the only person who has no idea where he lives [el Asesino]”explains the filmmaker in an interview with GQ. “When he finally meets [Claybourne], although this guy is probably involved in eight or ten incredibly nefarious things, he’s not the puppet master, he’s just financing it. Look, [Claybourne] He was a real bone of contention with everyone, who told him, ‘Oh, why don’t we settle this revenge?’ But it doesn’t really reach a level where you have to deal with it.”.
In the end, the Killer had already eliminated anyone who was involved with the attack on his girlfriend—and any outside witnesses—by that point. Likewise, as he mentions at another point in the film, justice becomes faster and more effective depending on the fortune of the victim. Is it essential then to end Claybourne?
“[El Asesino] He’s standing in front of this guy in his Sub Pop t-shirt and he’s thinking, ‘Are you a threat to me? You don’t seem like a threat. It seems like you could hire someone who could be a threat to me, but it also seems like you’re easily persuaded.’”adds Fincher.
The epilogue shows the Killer back home in the Dominican Republic, relaxing with Magdala and seemingly out of business. Now, he has become “one of the many.”
The murdererby David Fincher, is available on Netflix.