MovieChat Forums > The Killer (2023) Discussion > Garbage theme

Garbage theme

posted a year ago by MichaelJPollock (731)
4 replies | jump to latest

There's a recurring motif throughout the film of the killer discarding items (and people....) and throwing things in the trash, which, coupled with the pretty depressing -albeit spot on- depiction of how it feels to live in the early 21st century (all relationships are transactional, all locations "non-places" in the sense of Marc Augé (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-place), the world seems "post-cultural" (none of the pop cultural references in the killer's aliases seem to elicit any reaction from anyone)....) must have some deeper thematic meaning intended by Andrew Kevin Walker and Fincher.

[–] Melton (4435) a year ago

I hope so, because on first viewing I was underwhelmed, I expect better from a Fincher Kevin Walker collaboration.

[–] MichaelJPollock (731) a year ago

Yes, I know what you mean. The direction is undoubtedly masterful -as always with Fincher- but the film itself is underwhelming and I think quite voluntarily so.

Here we have a protagonist who is a sociopath with no character arc, who learns nothing (I read here and there that he opens himself to the idea of empathy throughout the film : I absolutely do not see or agree with that), who isn't particularly courageous and very difficult to identify with, evolving in an "Apple store" world that is all shiny surfaces and glitter and gourmet food and slick technology but absolutely devoid of a sense of history, human warmth or meaningful connections.

[–] Alex (1503) a year ago

Sociopath - impulsive, easily triggered into anger, road rage type of crazy.

Psychopath - cold and calculated, emotionless, tend to be very successful and well-liked, but with a side hobby of being a serial killer and whatnot.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6349) 4 months ago

This

And this character is valorized and even glamorized when he's nothing but an unrealistic and despicable killer.