Hit Man (2023 film)

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Hit Man
Streaming release poster
Directed byRichard Linklater
Screenplay by
Based on"Hit Man"
by Skip Hollandsworth
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyShane F. Kelly
Edited bySandra Adair
Music byGraham Reynolds
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • September 5, 2023 (2023-09-05) (Venice)
  • May 24, 2024 (2024-05-24) (United States)
  • June 7, 2024 (2024-06-07) (Netflix)
Running time
115 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.8 million[2]

Hit Man is a 2023 American romantic action comedy film produced and directed by Richard Linklater, who co-wrote the screenplay with Glen Powell, based on the 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article of the same name by Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, and Retta, and follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need.

Hit Man premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2023, and was released in select theaters in the United States on May 24, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on June 7. The film received praise from critics, who commended its themes and Powell's performance.

Premise[edit]

A part-time staffer with the New Orleans Police Department stumbles into the role of posing undercover as a reliable hitman with the goal of arresting those trying to hire him. He discovers he has a talent for theatrically matching the expectations of his suspects with often-humorous costumes, accents, and mannerisms, which makes him especially adept at his work. He meets with a woman who wants a hitman to kill her husband, but he falls for her at first sight and saves her from getting entrapped. Later she bamboozles her way into his life and murders her husband for the insurance money. The story explores how far will a person go for infatuation, love, and personal happiness.

Cast[edit]

  • Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, college professor and tech guy turned undercover mole
  • Adria Arjona as Maddy Masters, Gary's love-interest
  • Austin Amelio as Jasper, an undercover cop
  • Retta as Claudette, a police officer Gary works for
  • Sanjay Rao as Phil, a police officer Gary works for
  • Evan Holtzman as Ray Masters, Maddy's abusive ex-husband
  • Molly Bernard as Alisha, Gary's ex-wife
  • Mike Markoff

Production[edit]

Before the 2022 Cannes Film Market, Hit Man was announced as a new film for sale internationally. The screenplay was based on "Hit Man", a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth, and written by Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, who would also direct and star, respectively. Adria Arjona would also star.[3] AGC Studios reported strong sales for international distribution at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.[4] Powell was joined by Austin Amelio, Retta, and Molly Bernard in October 2022.[5][6] Though inspired from a real life person, many of the things, including the romance track in the plot and ending are highly fictionalized.[7] Filming began in New Orleans in October 2022,[6][8] and production was completed that November.[9]

Release[edit]

Hit Man had its international premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5 2023,[10] followed afterward by its North American premiere on September 11 at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).[11]

Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film for $20 million at TIFF, making it the largest film deal of the festival and of 2023, with plans for a theatrical release as well.[12] It was released in select theaters in the United States on May 24, 2024,[13] before streaming on Netflix on June 7, 2024.[14]

Reception[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 115 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "A deceptively dark thriller that's also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell—and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]

Writing for the The Washington Post, Ty Burr awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars, calling it "a blast of pure pleasure and one of the year’s best films."[17] In another positive review, Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times described Hit Man as "romantic, sexy, hilarious, satisfying and a genuine star-clinching turn for Glen Powell."[18] Wilkinson, along with several other reviewers, remarked on the philosophical questions posed by the film. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that the multiple identities assumed by Gary allow both the character and the viewer to consider "the question of whether there is in fact a true 'self', an irreducible core of authentic identity that remains behind when all imitations or influences are removed".[19] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com also described the movie as a "philosophical study of the human capacity to change".[20] However, Zachary Barnes of The Wall Street Journal noted a lack of subtlety, calling Gary's lectures in philosophy class "overly obvious as expressions of the movie’s themes".[21] Chris Evangelista of Slashfilm wrote a mixed review in which he described the film as "forgettable, and often uninspired", though he praised the performance of the actors.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Hit Man (15)". BBFC. February 22, 2024. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search" (Type "Hitman" in the search box). Louisiana Economic Development. October 14, 2022. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Ravindran, Manori (May 11, 2022). "Richard Linklater to Direct Hitman Starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, AGC International Selling in Cannes (Exclusive)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Kay, Jeremy (September 20, 2022). "AGC Studios reports strong TIFF pre-sales on 'Hitman', 'The Dating Game'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  5. ^ Vlessing, Etan (October 3, 2022). "Austin Amelio Joins Richard Linklater's Hitman (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Chitwood, Adam (October 4, 2022). "Richard Linklater's Hitman Adds Retta, Molly Bernard as Filming Begins". TheWrap. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  7. ^ https://people.com/hit-man-true-story-8652706
  8. ^ Lutz, John (October 19, 2022). "Glen Powell Shares Set Image From Richard Linklater's Hitman". Collider. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "Productions - Film New Orleans". filmneworleans.org. City of New Orleans. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Roxborough, Scott (July 25, 2023). "Venice Scores Star-Studded Lineup Despite Strikes (Full List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "Hit Man". TIFF. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  12. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (September 18, 2023). "Netflix Lands Richard Linklater-Helmed Hit Man For $20 Million Toronto Deal; Aggregate/AGC Studios Pic Stars Glen Powell & Adria Arjona". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  13. ^ Bagchi, Soham (April 18, 2024). "'Hit Man': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything We Know About the Glen Powell Comedy". Collider. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Holub, Christian (January 22, 2024). "How Richard Linklater, Glen Powell's Hit Man deconstructs assassin movies — watch the first trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "Hit Man". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 24, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  16. ^ "Hit Man". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  17. ^ Burr, Ty (May 21, 2024). "Linklater's 'Hit Man' deserves to be a hit, man". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (May 23, 2024). "'Hit Man' Review: It's a Hit, Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (May 23, 2024). "Hit Man review – Richard Linklater's thoroughly entertaining fake-killer caper". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "Hit Man movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  21. ^ Barnes, Zachary (May 23, 2024). "'Hit Man' Review: Glen Powell's Parade of Killers". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Evangelista, Chris (May 24, 2024). "Hit Man Review: Glen Powell Charms His Way Through Richard Linklater's Light Comedy". SlashFilm. Retrieved May 24, 2024.

External links[edit]

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