Hit Man
Richard Linklater's latest is a hit, man.
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Richard Linklater is one of my favorite modern American filmmakers and Glen Powell is on the cusp of becoming the biggest movie star in the world. These two Texans first collaborated all the way back in 2006 on “Fast Food Nation,” later reunited with “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood” and have now reteamed for “Hit Man” (streaming on Netflix beginning Friday, June 7).
Powell stars in this loose telling of a true story as Gary Johnson, a divorced “cat man” University of New Orleans psychology professor who moonlights as a techie for the police during murder-for-hire stings. Gary is thrown into action by colleagues Claudette (Retta) and Phil (Sanjay Rao) when rogue cop Jasper (Austin Amelio) gets suspended for fighting teenagers on video.
Jasper generally posed as the hitman, but now it’ll be up to Gary to make busts and not just record them. The nebbish Gary takes to the role surprisingly well and quickly. He begins tailoring his hitman persona to each target by employing accents, costumes, makeup and wigs. His tactics prove fruitful resulting in even greater arrest records than Jasper.
Gary’s luck in the field dries up when he makes a meet with Madison Masters (Adria Arjona) and assumes the identity of cool cat Ron. Madison is looking to bump off her abusive husband Ray (Evan Holtzman). Gary/Ron, taken with this beautiful, bruised angel, talks Madison out of the contract. He encourages her to leave Ray and use the money earmarked for his payment to get a new place to live. She listens. Ron’s luck in love blooms as he and Madison begin seeing one another.
Powell and Arjona make for an appealingly sexy pair and have palpable chemistry. Additionally, I really responded to the work of Amelio, reteaming with Linklater and Powell after “Everybody Wants Some!!.” His Jasper is a Grade A jerk, but he brings an entertainingly scuzzy energy to the proceedings and damn near walks away with the picture.
“Hit Man” has been referred to as a romantic comedy, an action-comedy, a crime thriller and an exercise in neo-noir. It’s all of these things (OK, maybe not an action comedy – it ain’t especially visceral) and more. It’s an examination of personal identity and the many sides of ourselves – much like a lot of Linklater’s catalogue. The script, by Linklater and Powell (who also produces alongside Linklater and actor Jason Bateman), is funny, sharp and talky (also true to Linklater tradition).
“Hit Man” is mid-tier Linklater, but that’s still better than 90 percent of what’s out there. (Its biggest drawback is how it deviates from truth during the conclusion, which paints the picture and its protagonists in an immoral light.) Mostly, it’s the story of a “hitman” who’s a nice guy here to remind us, “All pie is good pie.”