In the world of sophisticated and suave Hollywood hitmen, a departure from the norm can be seen as a risky and bold step. However, embracing his uniqueness, director David Fincher recently took a leap of faith by straying away from the conventional glamourous costume styles in the recent movie The Killer. Since the unveiling of the character look, fans have been left wondering why the titular character, played by Michael Fassbender is giving off ‘dorky’ vibes.
However, Fincher has his own reasons for the decision. Challenging traditional portrayals of similar characters, the filmmaker explained his side of the story in an interview with the New York Times.
David Fincher explained his vision behind an unglamorous hitman
In one of his interviews, David Fincher revealed that he wanted to stray away from the traditional portrayals of hitmen. Hence, to achieve his vision, the filmmaker dressed Michael Fassbender’s character in an unexpectedly unglamorous manner.
The titular killer’s costume includes a pair of Skechers, a zip-up fleece jacket with a conspicuous bucket hat. When asked why he decided to go against the sleek suits and suede boots boasted by popular hitmen like Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, Fincher said,
“The $3,000 suit seems like it’s played out. He’s totally dorky! We were never intending for it to look glamorous.”
However, Fassbender isn’t the only assassin movie star to don that conspicuous bucket hat. Joining in on the unique costume-style party, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt was also seen sporting a bucket hat in Bullet Train.
David Fincher acknowledged Brad Pitt’s bucket hat with his message
During the interview, David Fincher revealed that his inspiration for the costume came from a German tourist in Paris who sported a similar look. Intrigued by his appearance, Flincher immediately forwarded the look to his costume designer Cate Adams, emphasizing that the look should be more practical than glamorous.
“I said, ‘This is what he needs to be, a guy who can get off a plane and buy a whole wardrobe on his way from the gate to the rental car.’”
And then, coincidentally, Brad Pitt, who had earlier collaborated with Fincher in films like Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was also seen wearing a bucket hat in his recent assassin movie, Bullet Train. And acknowledging this amusing parallel, the filmmaker said,
“It’s funny because when Pitt told me he had selected a bucket hat for ‘Bullet Train,’ I was like, ‘OK, dude, you’re stepping into our sandbox.'”
While Ficher’s The Killer embraces the other typical tropes of hitmen movies like a nameless killer and a list of targets, it does try its best to avoid cliches.
Scheduled for a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2023, the movie will be streaming on Netflix from November 10, 2023.
Source: The New York Times
