Richard Linklater’s latest film, Hit Man was recently added to Netflix.
Hit Man is a dark romantic comedy starring co-writer Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Retta and Austin Amelio. Hit Man is loosely based on a true story, a Fargo-esque title card lets the audience know this at the beginning.
Set in New Orleans, it follows a university lecturer who, in his spare time, poses as a fake Hitman to protect victims and gather evidence by engaging in sting operations to arrest would-be killers. Things are running like clockwork until Gary (Glen Powell) meets the most beautiful homicidal woman you’ve ever seen, Madison (Adria Arjona) and she asks him to kill her Husband.
Hit Man is a romantic thriller that respects its audience. Just as the main character Gary has to put on different masks depending on the job, so too, does Hit Man change masks, sometimes it’s a comedy then a dark thriller, then an out-and-out romance. This transformation can happen within any given scene.
Hit Man is willing to be unapologetically sexy, morally complex, exciting and stylish all at the same time. Of course, Richard Linklater is the man who can navigate through the mire of these different genres with ease, through clean, authentic dialogue and intricate storytelling.
I knew I was going to like this as soon as I saw Linklater’s name, but I didn’t realise just how much. I can’t understate the amount of chemistry Powell and Arjona have onscreen together. Their relationship and scenes together culminate to be the stand-out element of the film and hold everything together. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t on the same level as Linklater’s earlier work, this “power couple” doesn’t hold a candle to Hawke and Delpy in the Before Trilogy but thankfully, there’s little reason to compare the two as Hit Man is unlike anything Linklater has ever made.
Gary is a psychology professor whose side hustle is working for a sting branch in the New Orleans Police Department. When the undercover cop, Jasper (Austin Amelio), gets suspended during a live sting operation for assaulting some teenagers, Gary has to step up. The intensity of this scene pops like a bubble as soon as the audience realises just how good Gary is at portraying a tough and dangerous psychopath – you get the impression he was made for this. After the success of this sting, Gary is promoted to a full-time undercover “hit-man”. He dives deep into his new role, researching in-depth the targets of his upcoming stings to construct and portray the ideal hitman for each target. His background in psychology is paying off.
Madison enters the story as one of these targets, this is when Gary constructs the hitman “Ron” for her. A spanner is thrown in the works however when there’s a spark between Madison and Ron. In just one short scene in a café, their chemistry is palpable. Adorable flirtation and teasing punctuate the conversation as Madison requests Ron to assassinate her abusive husband. The juxtaposition of such a romantic scene hanging on the appeal for murder gives the audience mouthfuls to chew on. Big respect for the supporting cast also, these characters, particularly Austin Amelio’s Jasper and Retta’s Claudette absolutely shine. They’re given loads to do, and are portrayed with such enthusiasm it breathes life into the world of Hit Man. I feel Hit Man has pinned leading-man stripes on Glen Powell. His performance has all the ingredients for stardom in this industry, particularly Hollywood, I wouldn’t be surprised if in years to come, Powell is discussed in conversations alongside names like Damon, Cruise and Gosling.
Hit Man is a Netflix original, probably the best original production they’ve made this year. It’s as though this film was tailor-made for the phrase “Netflix and chill”. It’s the best kind of movie to watch for a romantic night. I’m sure it was a coincidence, but this film hit Netflix in June, right in the middle between Valentine’s Day and Halloween and I can’t think of a better place for it.
The plot of Hit Man twists and turns like a serpent and you can never be sure just where the story is going next. That’s the excellence of a well-written screenplay. So many films and TV shows these days telegraph their ending too clearly, or too soon, while Hit Man has you guessing and guessing. Hit Man is a must-watch, a psychotic and steamy Freudian trip and I urge everyone to watch it.
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