Hitman 2024 Netflix Movie Review - Deserves 5 Stars
A philosophy professor by profession, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) assists the New Orleans police undercover unit with recording technology on a part-time basis. They have the contact information for a hit guy on the loose, so they capitalize on our fiction-induced assumption that murders are paid. A cop steps in whenever someone contacts out, ordering the murder to be recorded. But one day, Gary—the most uninteresting man alive—is called upon to step in when their regular person is unable to attend the meeting. It turns out that he likes doing it and is good at it. He begins studying his targets and creating personas for himself based on what he thinks they would think of as a hitman.
Powell, who combines his innate charm with a fantastic comedic range, looks to be having a great time with it as is Gary. Things are going nicely for a while. In addition to examining the issues he's been thinking about regarding the nature of identity, Gary views the work as a field test for his day job. After that, he meets Adria Arjona's Madison. She called a meeting to deal with her controlling and violent husband, and Gary shows up as Ron, who is essentially the complete antithesis of him—slick, impulsive, and laid back.
They bond right once, and as their conversation becomes flirty, he views her as a decent person in a difficult circumstance. He goes rogue and encourages her to leave her spouse rather than take the drastic path she had planned, all without revealing himself. She leaves without revealing anything, and Gary gets reprimanded by his coworkers for acting like a therapist. However, Madison quickly makes contact once more. Now that she is single, she wants to get together with Ron, the hit guy.
The real test of identity now presents itself. Will Gary alter fundamentally if he is Ron enough times? Hit Man makes sure not to squander this fantastic idea. Powell and Linklater co-wrote the narrative, and the concept of role-play is woven throughout. Its use as a humorous device is obvious, yet the film also shows a serious philosophical interest in it, examining whether identity is always determined by one's ability to play a part, which makes it malleable, or by something more fundamental, which makes it constant.
Adria Arjona and Glen Powell possess considerable comic skill and charm to captivate the attention of onlookers. Hit Man has all the makings of a great screwball comedy, plus a dash of noir and action thriller components. Hit Man is nothing less than a euphoric cinematic experience, with superb writing that strikes a good mix between being thrilling and suspenseful with its bizarre sense of humor. It seems like this is just the beginning of Linklater and Powell's flourishing collaboration, as they both remarkably demonstrate that they have a vast amount of untapped creative potential.
This is best demonstrated in a moment when Powell's Gary is aware that the police are listening in, and the two protagonists are compelled to stage an intense dispute that will make any audience laugh or cry. Peeling back the layers of Powell and Arjona's performances is so funny; they are doing double roles, which doubles the hilarity of their exchanges.
Without question, one of the year's greatest comedies is Hit Man.
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐