Not so long ago, Michael Fassbender's legions of fans wondered if their favorite actor would ever return to our screens. The combination of becoming a father and his love of sports car racing had kept him away for four years, but he's been making up for lost time. The film that marked his return is on Netflix and his star-studded hit series on Paramount Plus with Showtime (simply via Paramount Plus in the UK), which has just reached its climax, has been greenlit for a second season.
The show is The Agency and when we say "star-studded", we're not kidding. As well as double Oscar nominee Fassbender, the cast includes Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, John Magaro, Jodie Turner-Smith and Katherine Waterston, a mighty ensemble entangled in an espionage thriller based on the critically acclaimed French drama Le Bureau. Fassbender is a covert CIA agent, Martian, who is ordered to leave his undercover life and return to London, but when his abandoned love follows him, their relationship resumes, so his feelings clash with his career, his real identity and his latest mission. The tension escalates when he's made the proverbial offer he can't refuse — to become a double agent, so he can protect his girlfriend.
More details have yet to be released about what we can expect from season two, but it's highly likely that at least some of the action will surround Martian’s deal with the devil and whether he can keep quiet about it. And it’s inevitable that something else could complicate matters. This is the world of spooks, after all. The show's ability to keep its viewers guessing has been one of the reasons for its success with audiences and Paramount commissioned a second outing well in advance of the finale for its first season.
The Fassbender film on Netflix is The Killer (2023), the latest from Se7en director, David Fincher. This The Day Of The Jackal style thriller marked the actor's return to the screen, this time as a solitary, yoga-loving hitman who plans everything to within an inch of its life, including intricate disguises — and yet things still go wrong. Fincher directs this tightrope act of a film with customary skill and style, combining suspense with a dark sense of humor. Known only as The Killer, Fassbender's character comes laden with mantras designed to keep him on track — "stick to the plan", "weakness is vulnerability" — while the film rejoices in its own sly running gag. We won’t spoil the fun by telling you what it is, but watch out for his many assumed identities.
Scoring 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was warmly welcomed on the festival circuit before arriving on Netflix. Fassbender and co-star Tilda Swinton as his nemesis, an equally enigmatic assassin, are on top form in a film packed with Fincher's customary details and echoes of the likes of Zodiac and Fight Club. This is a film that hits the spot every time.
The Killer is available on Netflix in the US and UK. Season one of The Agency is on Paramount Plus via Showtime in the US and Paramount Plus in the UK.
