Movie Review: ‘Hit Man’ On Netflix

by | Jun 7, 2024 | Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments

Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater is known for exploring relationships between people and time. He highlights how the passing of time changes us and how we view our friends, family, and the world around us, which makes his entry into the tired hitman genre a bit surprising. It is a genre that often finds itself in need of a gimmick to draw attention. In the last two years, Liam Neeson and Michael Keaton have played hitmen struggling with memory loss. Of course, there are excellent films like “Leon,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “John Wick” that keep creators and audiences coming back for more. In a move typically reserved for films they expect to earn award nominations, Netflix released “Hit Man” in limited markets on May 24th before bringing it home to the streaming platform on June 7th.

Linklater is adapting a second story by Texas Journalist Skip Hollandsworth, who previously inspired Linklater’s 2011 dark comedy “Bernie.” Star Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) also got a writing credit for helping bring the story to life. Together, the three tell the story of straight-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hitman for the New Orleans Police Department. Using his knowledge of philosophy, Gary is gifted at inhabiting the ideal disguises and personalities necessary to catch hapless people hoping to solve a problem permanently. When he finds himself attracted to Madison (Adria Arjona), a beautiful and possibly homicidal young woman, it sends him spiraling into morally dubious territory. When Madison returns the affection, not for Gary, but for his mysterious and sexy hitman persona, Ron, it sets off a chain reaction that could cost them everything.

“Hit Man” is a unique blend of genres, with Gary’s role as a hitman making it a tenuous entry into the hitman genre to begin with. As the story unfolds, it transitions from crime-thriller territory into Rom-Com land, even stumbling into its tropes. This unconventional approach to genre sets ‘Hit Man’ apart, helping make it one of the best Rom-Coms in recent years. The movie opens by telling the audience, “What you are about to see is a somewhat true story,” because it embellishes the already amazing story of a man referred to as “the Laurence Olivier of the field” by Hollandsworth. The real-life capabilities of Johnson allowed Powell to pull septuple duty as Gary, Ron, and a slew of other unique hitmen. These lesser characters are used for comedy, to pay homage to other cinematic hitmen, and to display the range of Powell as an actor.

It is the strong performances of Powell and Arjona that truly make the film work. From the very beginning, their chemistry is palpable as they volley cute and witty quips back and forth. Even though their relationship slowly evolves beyond sex and banter, their on-screen moments are a constant delight. However, all their chemistry is not enough to help the film as it steers into the absurd during the climax. Linklater and Powell push the story too far, going for shock value instead of focusing on the characters that got us to that point. Thankfully the nose dive doesnt turn out disastrous and the story is righted in the final moments as the film draws to a close.

“Hit Man” is excellent in many facets. It looks great, from set and costume design to the cinematography from “Boyhood” director of photography Shane F. Kelly. Unfortunately, Johnson died before seeing his remarkable story on the big screen, but the film is dedicated to him as a great performer, Vietnam War veteran, a college teacher, “an animal-loving Buddhist,” and the “chilliest dude imaginable.” While Johnson could not see it, “Hit Man” is a 4 out of 5 you should make time for after its June 7th launch.

Rating: R (Some Violence|Sexual Content|Language Throughout)
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Action, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: Richard Linklater
Screenwriter: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell, Skip Hollandsworth
Producer: Jason Bateman, Mike Blizzard, Michael Costigan, Richard Linklater, Glen Powell
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date (Theaters): May 24th, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): June 7th, 2024
Runtime: 1h 53m