After first bearing witness to actor Glen Powell’s formidable talent as Dickie Dollar Scholar, Chad Radwell, in Ryan Murphy’s excellent-yet-short-lived Scream Queens, it instantly became obvious that he was destined for greatness. In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined the breakout star he would eventually be hailed as, leading major summer tentpoles including Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, or charming as the love interest in rom-coms Set It Up and Anyone But You. Now, Powell reteams with five-time Oscar nominee Richard Linklater on his most ambitious project to date. Powell, who also produces and co-wrote the screenplay, proves he has an endless assortment of personas he can fit into with ease in jet black rom-com, Hit Man. Riding on his natural charms and charisma, Powell’s chemistry with costar Adria Arjona and the crime elements baked into the script make Hit Man a must-see item for anyone’s hit list.
Uber-nerd Gary (Powell) has a pretty great life, or so he tells us in voiceover. Perfectly content in a cushy job at New Orleans University teaching psychology and sociology, Gary lives in the suburbs with his two cats, and in his spare time he obsesses over bird-watching. Its his side gig that is particularly of note: Gary works undercover for the New Orleans Police Department. What starts simple quickly becomes complicated for poor Gary when the primary, skilled officer, Jasper (Austin Amelio) backs out. Gary must step up to the plate pretending to be a contract killer, and get his target to physically offer money whilst he wears a wire. Funnily enough, Gary finds that he excels in the task, impressing nearly everyone at the police department with his acting and coercion skills.
Hit Man has a ridiculously fun time alongside Gary as he fills the shoes of a hitman over and over again. Instead of a normal approach or just playing the same one each time, Gary becomes the fantasy each target would want to see. Tailoring the hitman to the individual client becomes a second nature, as Gary metamorphosizes into a jack of all trades. Powell energetically fills each of these personas so drastically different that it is not hard to envision unsuspecting folks falling for the shtick hook, line, and sinker. Whether this be sporting facial hair, fake tattoos, elaborate wigs, or false teeth, Gary is the man for the job. As the film finds its groove, looking out for what ridiculous disguise Gary would sport next made for a spectacularly fun watch.
Of course, leave it to Powell and Linklater to add a caveat to Gary’s undercover work. What happens when the client appears to be in an abusive relationship, and comes across sweet and funny? Gary’s Ron character, hair slicked back, sporting shades and a 70s-esque vintage jacket, would be the object of anyone’s fantasies. Against better judgment, Gary starts to fall for Madison (Arjona) during their flirtatious initial encounter, going as far as suggesting she use her money to start a new life and escape rather than have her husband murdered. The police are not particularly fond of Gary’s “life coach” approach here, particularly nemesis Jasper, who wants his undercover role back that Gary has “stolen” thanks to his effortless acting. Nevertheless, under the guise of his suave and sexy Ron persona, Gary starts seeing Madison quite regularly. Ron bleeds into Gary’s day-to-day life, imbuing him with a newfound confidence and sexiness he never knew he had.
Despite warning Madison that everything they do together must be casual, the duo obviously begin to fall for one another. Thanks to an easy chemistry between Gary/Ron and Madison, their relationship embraces the sugary rom-com sweetness at the core of this story. The script raises more than a few interesting questions. Could Madison be a killer, and does she have ulterior motives in trying to take down her abusive husband? Can Gary maintain his impeccable winning streak for as long as he stays to work with the police department? Is there any putting Gary back into his previous nerdy, practically invisible box, or have his personas morphed him into an entirely different person?
The answers do not stray too far off brand for this quirky, whimsical movie about murder. Hit Man never forgets to be a romantic comedy, even if its particular set of skills are very different than most genre mashups we have encountered before. Glen Powell writes material for himself that plays to his strengths, and allows us to see sides of him we never have before. Between the tonal juggling act lies an adorably imperfect story of a man who finally realizes his purpose in life through becoming other people. If anything, Powell may be just as much of a chameleon as the characters he plays.
Think twice before hiring the Hit Man, coming to select theatres on May 24th, then streaming to Netflix on Friday, June 7th.
