Movies about killers are nothing new. After all, film like Psycho and Silence of the Lambs are part of the cinematic cannon. Still, I’ve found it notable that three of the best filmmakers working today have released movies about killers in the past year, and all three of them are perfect encapsulations of that director’s style and craft.
First, David Fincher released his movie The Killer starring Michael Fassbender. Like Fincher, the movie is technical and exact. Its sound design and cinematography completely immerse the viewer in a nerve-wracking, taut thriller that never takes itself too seriously, despite its grim subject matter. With standout performances and a voiceover-heavy script that brings you inside the mind of its main character, The Killer is a precision director at his most precise.
Then came Richard Linklater’s Hit Man. A hangout movie that transforms itself into a noir thriller, Hit Man takes a true story from Texas Monthly and flips it on its head, stretching it for laughs and thrills in a way that sacrifices the nonfiction, opting instead for cinematic delight. Glen Powell has never been better, and Linklater gets to work in his usual breezy manner before pivoting into something much more tense and tight, though still completely crowd-pleasing and delightful.
And now audiences are getting to see M. Night Shyamalan’s movie, Trap. The movie takes the audience with as Cooper, a serial killer portrayed by Josh Harnett, takes his daughter to a pop concert, where he soon learns the entire show is a trap intended to catch.. Well, him. Shyamalan’s always curious camera turns around every corner, looks up the walls and down below the seats, as Harnett’s character searches for any way out. What unfolds is a typically Shyamalan experience, in that it’s a completely unpredictable and wild ride that asks audiences to suspend their disbelief, but rewards them with rich emotional depth unpacking what it means to be a parent, as well as the burdens of maintaining a work/life balance.
Movies about killers are nothing new, and entries like The Killer, Hit Man, and Trap show us just how rich and varied the genre can be.. Especially with a master director at the helm.
The Killer and Hit Man are both on Netflix. Trap is now in theaters.
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