User Reviews

Well we had some tough comedy movies in the past but this is one is good. It made me think about 'the millers', it has a little bid the same comedy vibe. Just good jokes and even better acting. It just all fits. Not only the lead but also the crew around it.

Besides comedy the movie is also a little bit mysterious. You keep wondering what got the lady to do with it and can she be trusted?

Plot was decent too! Not some unrealistic without idea just to end the movie script.. no it actually fits with the whole movie and is original.

Maybe there was more possible with the teaching scenes on school.. that was sometimes a little bit duff but argh.. i didnt mind it that much.

So yeah.. had some good laughs.. i go wild and give it a 8.

Hitman is definitely a film-lover's paradise but even the casual film viewer will thoroughly enjoy this brilliant new movie. Linklater's latest lovingly pays homage to film noir, screwball comedy, Hitchcockian black comedy and even the good old psychosexual drama but it still somehow manages to conjure up a fresh, witty and often uproarious confection that frequently teases, delights and occasionally thrills the audience with frissons of excitement, keeping them enraptured all the way to its deliciously razor sharp ending.

This is potentially a star-making turn for Glen Powell. Although he made a strong impression in Top Gun: Maverick as a cocky rival pilot, his role in Hit Man is easily more complex and, as the co-writer of the script, he has been able to add brilliant layers to his character, or should that be characters? In effect, Powell is playing more than one character - Gary Johnson, mild-mannered, cat-loving geeky Psychology professor and audio techie who moonlights as a surveillance expert for a Louisana-based police unit that targets and stings hapless ne'er-do-wells who are looking to hire a killer. Before the next sting operation, Gary's police colleague Jasper (Austin Amelio) who normally pretends to be the hired killer is suspended for brutally attacking two youths, which forces Gary's colleagues (brilliantly played by Retta and Sanjay Rao) into convincing Gary to take over from the universally loathed Jasper, much to Gary's dismay. Yet, within minutes of taking on the task, Gary suddenly morphs into "Ron" and during his first sting he is so convincing that his colleagues are shocked, even though they had believed he could do it having heard Jasper go through the rigamarole on previous occasions. It is a brilliant piece of acting.

Having created the killer persona, Gary soon finds himself becoming more and more immersed in Ron, adding further, chameleon-like layers of disguise and character traits to mirror whoever is about to be stung. However, things become really complicated (in true film noir style) when "Ron" is approached by a femme fatale, Maddy (beautifully played by Adria Ajrona who also adds a delightfully a kooky sexy edge as well as a tender vulnerability). As the sparks between the two begin to fly during a hilarious but flirty exchange, Gary, who is clearly enjoying himself as Ron, finds himself conflicted. Dare he. As Ron, continue with the sting and have Maddy arrested for plotting to murder her husband? Has the flirtatious exchange caused Maddy to betray some regrets about what she is doing? The chemistry between Powell and Arjona is a pleasure to witness. Both actors bring out the best in one another and it is thrilling.

Off-beat is an expression that would certainly apply to Hit Man - and it is a compliment. It is also one of the most enjoyable and fun 2 hours I've had in the cinema in the past few years. I absolutely adore this film.

Hit Man is a new action comedy directed, written and produced in part by Richard Linklater, director of Boyhood and Before Midnight.

Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a school teacher, but also secretly works for the police. At one point he has to play a fake hitman with the police. He is hired by clients to commit murders, but after clients confess their criminal plans to Gary, the police can arrest them.

When Madison Masters (Adria Arjona) wants to hire Gary, he falls for her beauty. This causes him to break his own rules and try to change Madison's mind so that she does not carry out criminal plans. The two fall in love, but Madison actually falls for the hitman Ron, who played Gary for her. On the other hand, Gary shouldn't show that he's broken his own code to Madison because it could get him in trouble with the police and ruin his career.

This film is based on a true story, where the real Gary Johnson posed himself to the police as a hitman who criminals could hire to commit murders. Only after sharing their murderous plans with Gary could the police catch them. The real Gary Johnson had to dress up so many times, wearing different styles of clothes and wigs to appear different to each criminal, so he couldn't be exposed as an undercover cop. Glen Powell also does the same at the beginning of the film. He wears different costumes and also acts in different ways. For example, the film starts off more like an action comedy, but when Gary falls for Madison, the film turns more into a romantic comedy.

Richard Linklater provides a comic action film, but with repeated events, where Gary, in different disguises, makes various criminals confess. When the film later turns more into a romantic comedy, this mainly works because of the good chemistry between Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, their characters. Glen Powell only plays a character who leads a double life and his character ends up in a relationship with the possible criminal. This creates complicated situations in which he has to continue working strategically, without Madison or the police realizing that he is actually lying to both of them. However, the film does have a somewhat abrupt ending, which does not seem to answer everything.

Glen Powell plays the lead role well and actually has to play the role in different ways. This gives him the opportunity to show different acting capabilities in this film. Adria Arjona also plays the role of a seductive, possible criminal well, because as a viewer, like the main characters, you do not always know whether she can be completely trusted. After his time in various Walking Dead series, Austin Amelio also gets the chance to act in a film. He plays a colleague of the main character, who may thwart his strategic plans if he is told too much.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

My apologies but this one didn't work for me. Richard Linklater is a hit and miss filmmaker as he has made some pretty good movies but also some pretty bad ones in his career. Hit Man is different to his usual style and despite Linklater having good energy, I didn't connect with the movie as much.

The narrative is pretty standard and typical of he thriller noir genre and despite Linklater adding some new tones, style and approach to the story, it oftentimes feel too cheesy and predictable to be fully engaged with. The camerawork, production and some of the tense and action moments were pretty good as it helped to add the atmosphere and environment. The performances are pretty good as Glen Powell continues to shine and he does an awesome job performing his character.

The dialogue is interesting although some of the dialogue moments were a little too silly, some of the characters are interesting but some not as interesting. Linklater's direction was pretty solid but there are some aspects where his direction feels a little messy and unfocused at times. With the narrative being predictable and cheesy, it causes some of the moments for me to feel a little slow and slightly bored.

Hit Man has some entertaining moments but just like Top Gun: Maverick, I find myself not being big on the cheesy action stuff. Good for a watch but just not for me.

"Hit Man" on Netflix attempts to blend comedy with crime in a concoction that's as awkward as a clown at a funeral. Directed by Richard Linklater, a name usually associated with thought-provoking dramas, this film feels like a misfire from start to finish.

Glen Powell stars as the titular "hit man", a character more reminiscent of a frat boy with a gun than a hardened assassin. His attempts at humor fall flatter than a pancake, relying heavily on tired slapstick and juvenile jokes that wouldn't even elicit a chuckle from a laugh track.

Adria Arjona plays his love interest, a role that feels about as necessary as a screen door on a submarine. Their romantic subplot is as forced and unconvincing as a Hollywood marriage, adding nothing of substance to an already lackluster plot.

Linklater's direction, usually known for its subtlety and depth, feels completely out of place here. It's as if he's trying to juggle too many genres at once, resulting in a messy mishmash of half-baked ideas that never quite come together. The pacing is as erratic as a squirrel on caffeine, leaving viewers wondering if they accidentally hit fast forward on the remote.

The comedy itself is as stale as week-old bread, relying on tired clichés and recycled jokes that were tired the first time around. Powell's attempts at comic timing feel as awkward as a first date, while Arjona's straight-faced delivery only serves to highlight the lack of humor in the script.

Overall, "Hit Man" is a swing and a miss for Netflix, offering little more than a cringe-inducing comedy that's as forgettable as yesterday's news. If you're looking for a laugh, you're better off rewatching old episodes of "The Office" or "Parks and Recreation." As for "Hit Man," it's a contract best left unfulfilled.