I’ve seen the genre of Hit Man described in many different ways. “A broad comedy and sly noir.” “Smart and steamy screwball fun.” “A sexy black comedy boasting a sly streak of poignancy.” “A screwball philosophical thriller comedy noir about the world’s unlikeliest undercover agent.” I think what makes Hit Man so great is that it is all of those things and more. And it does it all well.

The movie, which came out on Netflix (I did see it in a theater which I will always recommend if you have the option. I truly believe it makes the experience of watching the movie so much better.), has a slightly convoluted plot, one that I wasn’t sure I fully understood from the trailers. Glen Powell stars as the titular hitman. Except he’s not actually a hitman (apparently they don’t really exist?). He’s a psychology and philosophy professor at the University of New Orleans who has a side gig assisting the New Orleans Police Department with undercover sting operations, busting people trying to solicit murder-for-hire. His technological expertise allows him to work with wire taps and recordings but when the cop who usually goes in undercover as the fake hitman is suspended at the last minute, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is sent in in his place. And, as it turns out, Gary is pretty good at pretending to be a hitman. The movie is based on a 2001 Texas Monthly article about the real life Gary Johnson, although it is made clear that this is more “inspired by a true story” than “based on a true story” as there is plenty of fictional embellishment.

Gary uses his knowledge of psychology to study his clients and become their “ideal hitman”. The first half of the movie kicks off as a showcase for Glen Powell as he flashes through dozens of different characters in various bizarre costumes and accents and mannerisms. The visual gags of this create a bulk of the fun and humor of the movie in the most stylistically interesting section of a mostly plot-driven film. But it also lets Powell shine and show off his range. He commits so fully to each character and just has that movie star charisma that keeps audiences with him and on his side the entire time. He’s in every scene of the movie and commands the screen with ease. You can tell he’s working hard but you never feel it. Glen’s career has been on an upwards trajectory since Top Gun: Maverick, but following Anyone But You earlier this year and now Hit Man and the upcoming Twisters movie next month, he’s really cementing his movie star status and proving he deserves to be there. 

About 30-40 minutes into Hit Man, the tone shifts with the entrance of Madison, played by Adria Arjona. Madison is stuck in a potentially abusive relationship and wants to hire Gary, or as he introduces himself to her, Ron, to kill her husband. Gary is moved by her story (and their flirty banter) and breaks protocol, convincing her not to hire him and just to leave her husband. She takes his advice and they keep in touch. I won’t say much more plot-wise about what happens next, but this is where the movie becomes more like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a hot couple with sinister vibes. It is also very much not a romcom but possibly intentionally plays on romcom tropes. You know like when a relationship starts under false pretenses and then they actually fall for each other but the lie has to come out eventually and then what happens when it does? You see it in Wedding Crashers, 10 Things I Hate ABout You, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, She’s All That (which is also just a funny example because this movie does that thing with Glen Powell where they try to make him seem like a weird, nerdy guy and then he takes off his glasses and suddenly he’s hot), Hitch, You’ve Got Mail, just to name a few. If you can think of any more please, please tell me in the comments. I’m just curious!

When you break it all down, the movie is playing a lot of different notes but it never feels that way when you’re watching it. Maybe because they’re all fun but also familiar so it doesn’t confuse the audience when the tone shifts. It really is an impressive feat of the filmmakers to basically juggle multiple movies in one and have the end result be a fairly easy watch. The movie is as deep or as shallow as you want it to be. If you want to turn off your brain and watch a fun, funny, sexy thriller/comedy, Hit Man can totally be that. But if you want to dig a little deeper, Hit Man does explore the question (with the help of Gary’s college class) of who we really are as people and if we can actually change. Can you will yourself to be someone else just because you pretend to be them? The movie seems to argue you can. It does dip pretty deep in some scenes into psychology and philosophy but, ultimately, it’s saying fake it til you make it. 

I had a great time watching this movie. I think it is really fun and fully captivating. There is one scene, the Notes app scene (if you know, you know), that is one of the most incredible and thrilling scenes in a movie in a long time (Scene of the year? Some people are saying it…). I’ve also been vocal about my love for Glen Powell and if this movie doesn’t get you on board, then I don’t know what will. I would love to see a procedural TV series where he just plays a different hitman in every episode. I think the unique, ever-changing but always pitch-perfect tone of the movie gives it something for everyone to enjoy and I would definitely recommend checking it out.

2024 Count: 13 seasons/specials, 27 movies