Glen Powell plays college professor Gary Johnson who moonlights as “Hit Man” for the New Orleans police. Powell’s character helps the police by wearing wigs, applying makeup, using accents, sporting fake tattoos, and dressing for the role of Hit Man that the suspects who want to hire a Hit Man expect. Clearly Powell likes to play Dress Up.
Director Richard Linklater co-wrote the script for Hit Man with Glen Powell. The action picks up speed when a beautiful wife, Madison Masters (Adria Arjona), asks Powell to kill her husband. Powell talks her out of this extreme decision and later the two become romantically involved. But Madison still thinks Powell’s character is a Hit Man.
Things start to unravel when Madison’s husband dies in a “drug deal” gone wrong. The police immediately suspect Madison. One of the cops, Jasper (Austin Amelio), poses a threat to Madison and the Hit Man. The resolution might not sit well with some viewers. But if you’re in the mood for an entertaining action-comedy-romance movie, Hit Man hits the spot. GRADE: B
It took me a moment to realize all those men were the same person! I don’t know why, but I almost never see movies anymore!
Bob, those other men in the picture are the various roles the Hit Man played in the movie. I’m sure it’s been years since you watched a Tom Cruise movie!
As soon as I learned he was a $cientologist, he was added to my sh*t list! He shall always be The Smirking Dwarf to me!
This one got a lot of publicity here in Austin because Powell and Linklater are local boys who made good. The Netflix photo on the blog sprawls across the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar in mega-size. Sounds like a throwback to the kind of rom-com thriller that proliferated in the early 00’s (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” etc)–not really my bag.
Fred, you’re right about HIT MAN being a retro movie. Mildly entertaining.
We have it on our list but haven’t watched it yet.
And speaking of “likes to dress up,” I recommend Robert Downey, Jr.’s multiple roles in THE SYMPATHIZER on HBO, especially the end of the third episode where four Downeys play against each other. You can tell he had a great time playing a CIA agent, a college professor, and an amusing version of Francis Ford Coppola filming APOCALYPSE NOW, I mean THE HAMLET, in The Philippines.
Jeff, THE SYMPATHIZER is on our Watch List. We’ll give it try when we get back from Ohio.
You really need to pay close attention to i t.
Jeff, I’m looking forward to it!
Yeah, I had problems with the ending, but on consideration decided they had laid the way for it. Still not as great a movie as the reviewers suggested. A B is about right.
Patti, I was hoping for a bit more clever ending, but it didn’t happen.
I’ve gone back-and-forth about watching this—perhaps because it seems that Glen Powell’s face is suddenly everywhere and I’m getting “flavor of the month vibes”, but also because a hit man (or even a pseudo hit man) story isn’t really my cup of tea. I’ll keep it in the “Maybe” column for right now.
Deb, if you set the bar low, you’ll find HIT MAN an acceptable action-comedy-romance movie…but nothing special. I liked the romantic chemistry between Powell and Adria Arjona.
Just watched this. I’m a bit let down after all the great reviews I have read about it. A B is about right.
Steve, I wasn’t swayed by all the positive reviews. HIT MAN is good, but not great.
It seems that it has some humor in the movie trailer. The guy has some funny expressions trying to emulate a hit man.
Susan, there is some humor in HIT MAN. But some people don’t like the ending.