Every Song & When It Played: The Killer Soundtrack Guide
Given the most of the Killer's tracks are by the same British indie rock band from the 1980s, its soundtrack for a David Fincher action-thriller is somewhat unusual. The latest Fincher film marks the first cooperation between the esteemed filmmaker and well-known actor Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, Inglourious Basterds), whose method acting techniques were on full show in The Killer. Though Fassbender's eerily stoic protagonist is described to simply as The Killer, a highly-trained hitman who scrambles to minimize collateral damage following a failed assassination attempt, he is shown under several names and disguises throughout the movie.
The Killer also notes the comeback of Fincher's working with Mank cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. Although most of The Smiths' best hits make up The Killer's soundtrack, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have worked on several of Fincher's other films including The Social Network, Gone Girl, Mank, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, also score the movie. As seen in the opening sequence of The Killer, which streams today on Netflix, Fassbender's character employs music by The Smiths to help slow down his pulse rate throughout his assassination attempts.
Every Song On The Killer Soundtrack
The first Smiths song in The Killer, "Well I Wonder," opens early in the movie about the 3:30-minute mark. Scouting the area in the morning from the top of a nearby building parallel to the location of his victim, the Killer is ready to try an assassination in Paris.
The Smiths' "I Know It's Over" Stately scouting and waiting for the opportunity to finish his mission in Paris, the Killer stretches. The Killer's commentary on his ideas on life, the universe, and his unusual career runs through the character's headphones in this second Smiths song.
How The Killer Soundtrack Enhances The Film
With this hitman movie mostly scored by The Smiths, The Killer Soundtrack fits the dark sense of comedy Fincher enjoys adding into many of his films. Still, the music is also crucial for the movie and its enigmatic lead. Because of his lack of engagement with the rest of the world, the spectator seldom gets to know the Killer. This is further compounded by the fact that his story runs counter to his behavior, presenting himself as a meticulous and thorough agent just to make errors all the time.
From IndieWire, Fincher regarded the music as a little window into this character's psyche and a chance for the viewers to relate to him somewhat better. The Smiths' song "How Soon Is Now?" seems to function as a sort of soothing chant for The Killer and Fincher thought it was interesting to have this be his way of handling the worry of the perilous job. Fincher also noted The Smiths are renowned for their clever songwriting, so it was a window into his sense of humor. This is also evident in The Killer's aliases—complementary comedic names.
Where Might One Listen to the Killer Soundtrack?
Multiple user-generated playlists on Spotify and YouTube let one access The Killer Soundtrack. Popular streaming services including Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music allow one to find every one of the seventeen songs in the soundtrack separately. Additionally available on Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's musical score in whole.
Along with the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross musical score, Netflix has created an official playlist for The Killer on Apple Music comprising every song used in the movie. Fifth straight feature picture directed by Favid Fincher, The Killer boasts an ambient soundtrack courtesy of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
From Kill List to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, David Fincher's The Killer is only the most recent in a long run of outstanding films on hitmen and assassins.
Given the most of the Killer's tracks are by the same British indie rock band from the 1980s, the soundtrack is quite unusual for a David Fincher action-thriller. The latest Fincher film marks the first cooperation between the esteemed filmmaker and well-known actor Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, Inglourious Basterds), whose method acting techniques were on full show in The Killer. Though Fassbender's eerily stoic protagonist is described to simply as The Killer, a highly-trained hitman who scrambles to minimize collateral damage following a failed assassination attempt, he is shown under several names and disguises throughout the movie.
The Killer also notes the comeback of Fincher's working with Mank cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. Although most of The Smiths' best hits make up The Killer's soundtrack, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have worked on several of Fincher's other films including The Social Network, Gone Girl, Mank, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, also score the movie. As seen in the opening sequence of The Killer, which streams today on Netflix, Fassbender's character employs music by The Smiths to help slow down his pulse rate throughout his assassination attempts.
Here's Every Song In The Killer arranged:
Song | Composer; Artist
Well I Wonder | The Smiths
The Smiths | I Know It's Over
"How Quick Is Now?" | The Smiths
Hand In Glove | The Smiths
Portishead's "Glory Box"
The Smiths | Bigmouth Strikes Again
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now | The Smiths
The Smiths | Girlfriend In A Coma
The Smiths | Shopsifters of the World Unite
"Un unhappy Birthday" | The Smiths
" This Charming Man" | The Smiths
Orlando Angelo's "Chopstick"
"Pop pop" | Avalanche the Architect
Another Level | Crewsnot
Ryden | "Pray".
"Stray Beast" / James Saaib
The Smiths | "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
