Dir: Richard Linklater
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta
An outstanding comedic showcase for its star Glen Powell, ‘Hit Man’ is a smart and sexy romantic crime caper reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Out of Sight’
Ever since I started getting into film, way back in the mid-2000’s, I have had a soft spot for American auteur Richard Linklater. The 63-year-old is a chameleon of the film industry, trying his hand at multiple genres, covering a variety of themes and subject matters. My personal fondness for Linklater came off the back of his second instalment of the ‘Before’ series which subsequently went on to become a trilogy following the release of the bittersweet finale ‘Before Midnight’ in 2013.
Despite having produced arguably the most romantic series of movies in cinematic history, Linklater has never limited himself, having also proved he is more than capable at producing excellent comedies such as ‘Slacker’ (1990) and ‘School of Rock’ (2003); coming-of-age dramas with ‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993) and ‘Boyhood’ (2014) and darkly comedic thrillers such as ‘Bernie’ (2011). The Texan native’s latest cinematic escapade ‘Hit Man’ almost serves as a collage of all of his greatest works, combining multiple genres giving us one of his most fun and accessible movies to date.
Production began on ‘Hit Man’ back in 2022, and is based on a Texas Monthly article by journalist Skip Hollandsworth. Linklater had previously collaborated with Hollandsworth on ‘Bernie’, which too was based on one of the journalists Texas Monthly articles, this time round however Linklater shares scriptwriting duties with the movie’s star Glen Powell, rather than Hollandsworth himself.
Very loosely based on Hollandsworth’s article, ‘Hit Man’ tells the fascinating true story of Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a socially anxious college professor who moonlights as an undercover mole for the New Orleans Police Department. Having volunteered part-time as a technician, Gary is thrown head-first into fieldwork when undercover cop Jasper (Austin Amelio) is suspended for misconduct. Having stumbled into his undercover role, Gary poses as a “reliable hitman”, with the goal of arresting anyone who attempts to hire him. The introverted Gary is surprised when he discovers his natural talent for theatrically matching the expectations of his suspects with a variety of increasingly humorous personas, making him adept at his newfound profession, much to Jasper’s chagrin.
During one of his many sting operations, Gary meets Maddy (Adria Arjona), who wishes to hire him to killer her abusive husband. Under the guise of his hit man persona “Ron”, Gary sympathetically advises Maddy to pursue better options, thus preventing her from getting arrested. After exchanging details the pair become romantically involved but with Gary having to keep up his act as “Ron”, he begins to experience a personality personality crisis, all the while arousing suspicions with Jasper and the NOPD.
There have been countless romantic-comedy crime capers of the years, more often than not starring two of Hollywood’s biggest names as they share little to no chemistry as witless non-stop action surrounds them. What Linklater and Powell have managed to produce with ‘Hit Man’ however, is something far more unique and unpredictable. Tonally, the film is like a jigsaw puzzle, with comedy, romance and neo-noir effortlessly intertwining, leaving the audiences constantly guessing as to which characters are genuine and which are hiding behind a façade.
It is an entertaining and often hilarious outing from Powell who gives his career best work to date. It has been a breakthrough couple of years for the 35-year-old, having landed major roles in military aviation dramas ‘Devotion’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, as well as the eagerly anticipated ‘Twisters’ just on the horizon. Powell has proved in the past that he has the looks and charm to be a romantic lead and his chemistry with co-star Adria Arjona is undeniable, far superior than his supposed chemistry with Sydney Sweeney in the painfully awkward ‘Anyone But You’. The ridiculously attractive on screen couple provide the same levels of cat-and-mouse sexual chemistry as Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh‘s shamefully overlooked 1998 crime comedy ‘Out of Sight’ and this surprising level of investment kept me well on my toes for the majority of the breezy runtime.
It may fall down in the final act as the fictional and factual inspirations for the film become separated, somewhat dampening the ending which left me slightly flat. However, given the twists and turns that proceed it, for the most part ‘Hit Man’ is a good time to be had and will be sure to find an audience now it is streaming on Netflix.
It may not be at the top of his impressive filmography but Richard Linklater has managed to produce a smart and unique modern romantic-comedy with just enough elements of crime to keep you guessing until the very end. Hopefully up-and-coming filmmakers use this as a template for future rom-coms rather than churning out the same old A-list Hollywood drivel.
Hit Man is available to stream on Netflix
Dan Loves Film 
Love the review. I’ve added it to my watchlist a couple hours ago. Even more excited to watch it now.
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Another fantastic review. “Hitman” is one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Richard Linklater is a renowned filmmaker that has made some of my favorite films of all-time. I think what I love most about his films is his ability to tackle various genres. He has made movies in a variety of genres, from coming-of-age dramas to high school movies. “Boyhood” is my favorite film from him. I saw it at a time when I was making a massive transition to college and identified with Mason’s journey. I am curious to see “Hit Man” because it appears to be different from anything Linklater has done in the past.
Here’s my thoughts on “Boyhood”:
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I saw this today, after reading your review. It was great fun Thanks for the recommendation
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Glad to hear yo checked it out off the back of my review
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