Mindhunter creator David Fincher is known for crafting tense and stylized sequences that enthrall audiences. One such scene from his new Netflix thriller, The Killer, sees a contract killer confronting his prey in a restaurant called The Waterfront.
The expertly directed scene shows two amazing actors— Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swindon— sharing a tense conversation in front of a public setting. At the same time, Fassbender’s character holds a gun on her underneath the table.
The restaurant is pristine and extremely upscale in presentation.
One can imagine the alcohol Swinton orders costing as much as a Subaru.
But ever since The Killer premiered, viewers have been wondering about The Waterfront from The Killer.
Is it a real place? Here is what viewers should know about the filming location.
Is The Waterfront from The Killer a real place?
In the movie, Fassbender’s role as The Killer lands in New York to confront The Expert at the lavish Waterfront Restaurant.
The name is elegantly lit on the side of the building to promote curiosity about the establishment.
While there is a place called The Waterfront in New York, this differs from the location utilized in the film.
In fact, it’s not even a restaurant but a ballroom inside a resting spot in Saint Charles, Illinois called Hotel Baker.
This is a common choice, as directors often use alternative locations to depict specific settings.
Most films are produced in Canada to make it feel like somewhere in the United States. Sometimes, it can save production money using these methods.
More about The Waterfront at Hotel Baker
While the official site of Hotel Baker says the ballroom can accommodate other social gatherings, it’s mostly advertised as a wedding rental sitting next to the Fox River.
The site indicates the location is newly renovated. The Knot goes into further detail about its amenities, including that it can fit 200 people, contains marble floors, and a painted ceiling (but it does not elaborate on what is painted on the ceiling). They also add that the entire atmosphere has a Gatsby-like feel to the location.
The Knot further adds the location has a French theme, with French doors allowing guests to move in and out on a lavish patio.
And the most shocking part is that the site has it listed as “affordable.”
Watching the movie, one would never guess that the setting was a ballroom mainly used for weddings, but that is the magical power of film.
The Killer is now streaming on Netflix.