'Hit Man' Review: Glen Powell Kills it as a Code Switching Contract Assassin
Not since Jerry Lewis' The Nutty Professor have I seen a triumphant display of a white man assassinating his safeguarded personality and taking on a badass persona (a.k.a. code-switching). In Richard Linklater's Hit Man, Glen Powell (also co-writer) transforms from a nerdy New Orleans philosophy professor to a fake contract killer with boundless confidence. Linklater's movies are hardly slick, sexy, or fun. However, he switched it up with this crowd-pleasing dark comedy, and it's the most fun I've had in a theater all year. Damn it, I'm mad Netflix owns this gem now.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Netflix
R: Language throughout, sexual content and some violence
Runtime: 1 Hour and 53 Minutes
Production Companies: BarnStorm Productions, Aggregate Films, Detour Filmproduction, AGC Studios
Distributor: Netflix
Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Molly Bernard, Mike Markoff
Release Date: May 24, 2024 (Theaters) | June 9, 2024 (Netflix)
NYFF61 Coverage
Philosophy professor Gary Johnson is an average geek who indulges in light activities like caring for his cats, birdwatching, and going undercover, catching perps for the New Orleans FBI. When his reckless peer Jasper (Austin Amelio) gets suspended from fieldwork, Gary's thrown into the ring, taking Jasper's place. He creates a character named Ron, a man so discreet, confident, and cool every criminal buys into his fake contract killer act. That's until Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona), a woman with an abusive husband, seeks Ron's assistance. Instead of giving her up, he pivots and gives her advice. Soon, a romantic affair sparks between them, jeopardizing Gary's job the longer he leans into his Ron persona.
That Texan blood shared between the Houston-based Linklater and the Austin-based Powell must be strong, given that Hit Man features the duo at the apex of their game. Powell has stood out in Linklater features since 2006's Fast Food Nation, Everybody Wants Some, and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood. Hit Man promotes him to a leading man position. Without sounding thirsty and unprofessional, this is the hottest—I mean, the most versatile Powell has been onscreen in his entire career. Sorry, Set It Up and Top Gun: Maverick. Hit Man is the hottest Glenny Glen will ever be. Or at least until his R-rated sex comedy with Sydney Sweeney comes out. But boy, will that be an uphill battle.
Powell's most formidable challenge as Gary Johnson is burying his charm. Through detailed voiceover, some glasses, and a slightly but not quite cartoonish nerdy voice, he convincingly leans into Gary and his loserdom. So when Gary taps into his inner badass as Ron during a lengthy first meeting with a criminal, Powell casually captures this suave persona.
Powell and Linklaters' script strikes a dark yet energetic tone that's always locked and loaded with comedy. The film prominently acts as Powell's one-person show to juggle different personas, and he's game for some of the most outlandish aspects to Gary, like doing extensive research on every target's profile and creating silly disguises that appeal to his clients. While Gary gets on his Backyardigans shit, Powell has fun doing various domestic and international voices as if he's auditioning to host SNL.
From the top, Linklater and Powell strap the viewer into Gary's brain, detailing all the steps to making a convincing contract killer character. His narration, which happens often, guides the viewer through every decision Gary makes, but without being overbearing or condescending. The way he analyzes each suspect and the characters he creates adds vibrancy to every scene while increasing the stakes given how “In Too Deep” he gets, like Sum 41. Also, his narration plays a role in misdirecting the audience. His internal monologue assures you he's not taking the Ron pill during off-duty hours. Still—ever so often—he'd do something badass to surprise you.
All it takes is one gorgeous woman to topple his cover. As incredible as Powell is, Adria Arjona plays an excellent contemporary femme fatale with Maddy, keeping Gary/Ron on his toes from the moment they meet. They play off each other with corny flirting and jokes, keeping flirty tensions high. But in her own right, Arjona carries a fun and frightening confidence that acts as the perfect foil, controlling the direction of the scene and the film's beats.
On the directorial side, Linklater approaches the film like he did Bernie, starring Jack Black. He has very natural lighting in all the locations, personalizing his perspective to the lead and how they navigate their surroundings but still letting the dark comedy naturally stand out.
Hit Man is an excellent 4-star flick. The only mark it has against it is its familiar plotting, but it's thoroughly exciting. Even if I could see the beats coming a mile away, Hit Man is just so goddamn fun. I couldn't stop beaming with joy during the NYFF P&I screening.
My main issue with the film is that it's in Netflix's big, meaty claws. Hit Man had the potential to be a great crowd-pleaser. It played a week after they bought it out of TIFF, and they immediately stuck their logo on it. My audience, composed entirely of critics and old-ass industry people, was vocal, which, within my six years covering the festival, is rare. I know times are hard, with the ongoing SAG strike and the dumbass CEOs not paying actors what they deserve, but I can't go to these fests where indie titles get that big red N check. I need that mouse house, Universal, and even (ew) Zaslav to come out here and make some purchases. Netflix is taking all the good shit. Fight back, bitches, FIGHT BACK! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Glen Powell and Richard Linklater penned a blast of a noir-meets-Nutty-Professor sexy crime comedy with Hit Man. This crowd-pleasing flick is a sharpshooter, fueled by Powell's phenomenal star power showcase, Adria Arjona's mysterious poker face, and Linklater's kinetic direction.
