‘Hit Man’ Is A Thrilling Blend Of Comedy, Action, And Romance – Movie Review

Richard Linklater strikes gold again with ‘Hit Man.’

Glen Powell is undoubtedly becoming the up-and-coming movie star of the moment. He had a memorable role in ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ 2022’s highest-grossing movie, and he, along with Sydney Sweeney, is being credited with resurrecting traditional romantic comedies at the box office after the success of ‘Anyone but You.’ While we still have ‘Twisters‘ on the horizon, Powell is currently taking over Netflix with Richard Linklater’s R-rated romantic action comedy, ‘Hit Man.’

Inspired by a true story documented in Texas Monthly.

‘Hit Man’ features a psychology professor, Gary Johnson (Powell), who acts as a fake hitman for the New Orleans Police Department. Johnson takes on different personalities when meeting with potential clients while the police listen in for a hopeful sting operation. When Gary meets the beautiful Madison (Adria Arjona), who is looking to bump off her husband, he falls into the morally questionable territory of deception, love, and identity.

Glen Powell and Richard Linklater co-wrote the film, taking some deliberate detours from the true story. The result is a fantastic blend of comedy and action, although not action in the traditional sense. Intense meetings and conversations leave the viewer on the edge of their seat, and, frankly, several of these scenes wowed me more than some of the biggest action scenes we have seen on screen this year.

When it comes to the ‘It factor,’ there’s just no denying that Glen Powell has ‘it.’ Powell’s transition from Gary, the dorky psychology professor, to ‘Ron,’ one of Gary’s hit man personas, is somehow as believable as it is incredulous. It has been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a new young actor. The palpable chemistry between Powell and Adria Arjona is also off the charts, making some of the film’s big climactic scenes hit that much harder. Arjona and Powell have both been working for a while now, but they’ve never shined this bright. Linklater’s direction and chemistry with his actors are also top-notch. This complex story could have been difficult to pull off, but the material sings on screen.

Verdict

I give ‘Hit Man’ 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is an incredibly paced romp featuring several exciting actors you won’t want to miss. While it would have been nice to see this one on the big screen, we can at least guarantee that there will be no shortage of viewers catching ‘Hit Man’ in their living rooms this summer. This is a movie that I highly recommend for a fun and entertaining viewing experience.

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