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Netflix's The Killer: David Fincher's assassination thriller ending explained

The globe-trotting, gun-slinging Michael Fassbender-led, movie started streaming November 10. here's what you need to know about the ending

Features by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Wed Nov 15 2023

This article contains spoilers for The Killer.

David Fincher is back, bringing his signature style and worldview to a tale of assassination and intrigue in The Killer, produced by and streaming on Netflix. If you've already seen the Michael Fassbender-starring film and want to read more about that ending, or are just curious about the film's finale before going into it, we've put together a little piece on The Killer's ending, explained.

Watch your back, get your passports ready, and put on your buckethat; let's dive in.

How does The Killer end?

After a botched assassination attempt at the top of the film, a duo of fellow assassins are sent after The Killer. They find his girlfriend, Magdala, instead, and though they don't kill her, they do enough damage to send The Killer on a quest for revenge.

The end of the fim is a culmination of The Killer's efforts; after trotting the globe in search of every person connected to the hit on him, The Killer uses his skills to erase them one by one. After confronting the person who first called the hit (more on him later), The Killer travels back to his home in the Dominican Republic, where his girlfriend is recovering, safe from his lifestyle... for now.

Who dies in The Killer?

Long answer short - most people. Everyone that had a hand in the attack on Magdala is systematically hunted down and taken out by the Killer, including other assassins like the Expert and the Brute, as well as the Killer's former handler, Hodges, and even a cab driver, Leo.

More noteworthy, honestly, is the fact that the Killer lets anyone live. The guy that gets lucky in this case is the Client, a man called Claybourne, who knew nothing of what it would entail when he told Hodges to "tie up loose ends" from the Killer's botched assassination in the beginning. This is apparently a good enough excuse for the titular assassin, although he does promise Claybourne brutal retribution if he ever messes with him again.

What inspired The Killer?

The Killer is based on a long-running French comic of the same name (well, Le Tueur to be technical about it), written by Alexis Nolent, AKA Matz, and drawn by Luc Jacamon. The comic has been running off and on since 1998, and as of this writng, has been compiled into six collected editions. Knowing that, you might be wondering...

Is The Killer 2 happening?

Unfortunately, that's a question we can't definitively answer right now. While there's been no official statement that The Killer won't get a sequel (is there even such a thing these days?), there's also been no announcement from Netflix, Fincher, or Fassbender about returning to The Killer's world for another go-around.

Still, the main character's profession affords plenty of opportunity for more adventures. The Killer's eventual goal might be retirement, sure, but will the people in his strata allow that? I think not.

The Killer is streaming on Netflix now.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. As Popverse's Staff Writer, he criss-crosses the pop culture landscape bringing you the news and opinions about the big things (and the next big things). In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.