With the jaunty hat and laid-back attitude, it feels like Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to be the latest detective in a noir thriller. Despite his assured style, this mystery lacks much of its own. After the death of a twin brother (both played by Richard Madden), our PI is hired to find out whodunit by the ex-wife (Shailene Woodley). As expected, Gordon-Levitt’s character has issues that haunt him, but that’s just another trite genre element in a movie that’s full of them. There’s only one short, mild action scene, leaving the rest of the time to dramatic encounters with various characters. The performances from this accomplished cast are solid, but there’s nothing about the writing or direction that makes this in any way unique…or for that matter, interesting. Even Gordon-Levitt’s potential charms aren’t sufficient to keep this “Killer” from quickly dying. 
(1 / 5)
