This review was originally part of our coverage for the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
You have to live passionately and on your own terms,” beginsHit Man,a film that proves once again that director and co-writerRichard Linklaterlives by this credo. In the last decade alone, we’ve seen Linklater wrap up one of the greatest movie trilogies ever made (Before Midnight), release a twelve-year passion project (Boyhood), a spiritual sequel to his classicDazed and Confused(Everybody Wants Some!!), and most recently, a rotoscope animated pseudo-documentary (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood). WithHit Man, Linklater once again takes on yet another style of film, creating his own version of a film noir, and ends up making his best film sinceBoyhood.
Glen Powell(who also co-wrote the film) stars as Gary Johnson, a psychology and philosophy teacher who also occasionally works for the New Orleans police department. When the unassuming Gary is tasked with playing a fake hitman in stings, it’s a role that he takes to quite easily,assuming different characters to entice the people trying to hire him. But once Gary/his sexier persona Ron meets Madison (Adria Arjona)—a woman who wants to have her husband killed—sparks begin to fly and the two begin a relationship that could mean bad news for both of them.
Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
Very quickly,it becomes clear that noir is a perfect style for Linklater to explore, as his tone fits beautifully with the aesthetics of the genre. His brand of humor is extremely fun when thrown into a story like this, and by making Gary Johnson a professor, he can inject moments of philosophical discussions that remind of films likeSlacker,A Scanner Darkly, orWaking Life.Hit Manalmost reminds ofRobert Altman’s exploration of noir inThe Long Goodbye, which also felt like an ideal blend of a director’s style with a genre that we might not have expected from them.
Glen Powell Is an Absolute Delight in ‘Hit Man’
Powell has been a frequent collaborator with Linklater since 2006’sFast Food Nation, andHit Manmarks their fourth and best work together. Plus, it gives Powell his finest showcase of his gifts as an actor. His penchant for strange costumes and attuning his appearance to his mark shows just how hilarious he can be, playing everything from a redneck to aTilda Swinton-y assassin. He also excels at swapping between Gary and Ron. Even when we see him as the far more confident Ron, we can still see the glimmer of the nervous, awkward Gary hiding underneath. And with Powell also co-writingHit Man, this is him showing off all his talents not just as an actor, but also on the page. Both are filled with exciting potential for the future.
But also surprising for Linklater is just how sexy he’s able to makeHit Man. Madison is the closest thing that the film has to a “femme fatale” archetype, and the chemistry between Arjona and Powell is off the charts. From their first meeting together, which acts as the hiring of an assassin, Gary/Ron trying to convince her that murder isn’t the answer in this case, and also a meet cute, the electricity between these two is insane. It makes this charming tale even more exciting as it (and their relationship) heats up.
Linklater’s Experimentation in Noir Makes for One of His Best Films in Years
Hit Manis also simply one of the most thoroughly enjoyable films of Linklater’s career, an absolute delight to watch unfold and play out. He keeps the twists of the noir narrative fairly straightforward, leaving us to revel and admire in Powell’s comedic chops, the romantic entanglements, and the anticipation for when this relationship might go too far.Powell, Linklater, and the entire cast are having a ball with this concept, and it’s a joy to watch how it all plays out.
This also speaks to Linklater’s brilliance at experimenting with genre at a core level, and how that can produce some of his finest works. Much ofHit Manfeels like Linklater’s commentary on film noir, how absurd it all is, and playing with that absurdity to make a comedy that really works. But this breaking down of genre to its core elements and testing it out has led to some of Linklater’s greatest films. What better way to take a look at youth than show a kidactuallygrowing up withBoyhood? Or how better to show true love on screen than by showcasing the specific day two people fall in love withBefore Sunrise, and then recontextualizing that love throughBefore SunsetandBefore Midnight? Even Linklater’s crack at a kid’s movie, withSchool of Rock, or his attempts at animated films likeA Scanner DarklyandApollo 10 1/2feel groundbreaking in their approach. More than any other, though, Linklater is directly winking to the audience withHit Man, making us part of his deconstruction and making us complicit in this film’s deception. It’s a delightful shift for Linklater, and it’s fun to watch him work through the genre in this way.
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With an opening credits that states that this is a “somewhat true story,” and considering the original article the film is based on was written bySkip Hollandsworth—who also wrote the basis for Linklater’sBernie—Hit Mandoes at times feel like a spiritual sequel of sorts tothat. Each sees Linklater blending murder and humor in an effective way. His and Powell’s screenplay isn’t beholden to the true story and even winks at their deviations in the end. That ability to tell their own version of this narrative is absolutely a feature and not a bug.
Linklater has been experimental for his entire career, but this last decade feels like it’s had more hills and valleys than before. In this period, we have seen some of Linklater’s best work, but we’ve also seen some of his most questionable films, ones that sometimes lose his heart and spirit, or feel like experimentations and spiritual sequels and little more.Hit Man, however, is Linklater’s interest in experimentation done right—trying out a genre that he’s never really played in before, having a blast riffing on the tropes and themes that made him love the genre, all while still making a film that feels wholly his own. It’s always wonderful for Linklater to play and try things out in this way, butHit Manfeels far more like a success than just an experiment.
Hitman is Richard Linklater’s best film in years and more proof of how Glen Powell is a star.
Hit Manis available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. starting June 7.
