This evaluation was written in the course of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With out the labor of the writers and actors at present on strike, the movie being lined right here wouldn’t exist.“It’s important to reside passionately and by yourself phrases,” begins Hit Man, a movie that proves as soon as once more that director and co-writer Richard Linklater lives by this credo. Within the final decade alone, we’ve seen Linklater wrap up one of many best film trilogies ever made (Earlier than Midnight), launch a twelve-year ardour venture (Boyhood), a non secular sequel to his traditional Dazed and Confused (All people Needs Some!!), and most just lately, a rotoscope animated pseudo-documentary (Apollo 10 1/2: A House Age Childhood). With Hit Man, Linklater as soon as once more takes on one more fashion of movie, creating his personal model of a movie noir, and finally ends up making his finest movie since Boyhood.
Glen Powell (who additionally co-wrote the movie) stars as Gary Johnson, a psychology and philosophy trainer who additionally often works for the New Orleans police division. When the unassuming Gary is tasked with taking part in a pretend hitman in stings, it’s a job that he takes to fairly simply, assuming totally different characters to entice the individuals making an attempt to rent him. However as soon as Gary/his sexier persona Ron meets Madison (Adria Arjona)—a girl who desires to have her husband killed—sparks start to fly and the 2 start a relationship that might imply unhealthy information for each of them.
In a short time, it turns into clear that noir is an ideal fashion for Linklater to discover, as his tone matches superbly with the aesthetics of the style. His model of humor is extraordinarily enjoyable when thrown right into a story like this, and by making Gary Johnson a professor, he can inject moments of philosophical discussions that remind of movies like Slacker, A Scanner Darkly, or Waking Life. Hit Man nearly reminds of Robert Altman’s exploration of noir in The Lengthy Goodbye, which additionally felt like an excellent mix of a director’s fashion with a style that we’d not have anticipated from them.
Powell has been a frequent collaborator with Linklater since 2006’s Quick Meals Nation, and Hit Man marks their fourth and finest work collectively. Plus, it provides Powell his best showcase of his presents as an actor. His penchant for unusual costumes and attuning his look to his mark exhibits simply how hilarious he could be, taking part in all the pieces from a redneck to a Tilda Swinton-y murderer. He additionally excels at swapping between Gary and Ron. Even after we see him because the way more assured Ron, we are able to nonetheless see the glimmer of the nervous, awkward Gary hiding beneath. And with Powell additionally co-writing Hit Man, that is him exhibiting off all his skills not simply as an actor, but additionally on the web page. Each are full of thrilling potential for the longer term.
But in addition shocking for Linklater is simply how horny he’s capable of make Hit Man. Madison is the closest factor that the movie has to a “femme fatale” archetype, and the chemistry between Arjona and Powell is off the charts. From their first assembly collectively, which acts because the hiring of an murderer, Gary/Ron making an attempt to persuade her that homicide isn’t the reply on this case, and in addition a meet cute, the electrical energy between these two is insane. It makes this charming story much more thrilling because it (and their relationship) heats up.
Hit Man can also be merely one of the crucial completely fulfilling movies of Linklater’s profession, an absolute delight to observe unfold and play out. He retains the twists of the noir narrative pretty simple, leaving us to revel and admire in Powell’s comedic chops, the romantic entanglements, and the anticipation for when this relationship would possibly go too far. Powell, Linklater, and all the solid are having a ball with this idea, and it’s a pleasure to observe the way it all performs out.
With a gap credit that states that this can be a “considerably true story,” and contemplating the unique article the movie is predicated on was written by Skip Hollandsworth—who additionally wrote the premise for Linklater’s Bernie—Hit Man does at instances really feel like a non secular sequel of kinds to that. Every sees Linklater mixing homicide and humor in an efficient approach. His and Powell’s screenplay isn’t beholden to the true story and even winks at their deviations in the long run. That skill to inform their very own model of this narrative is completely a characteristic and never a bug.
Linklater has been experimental for his total profession, however this final decade feels prefer it’s had extra hills and valleys than earlier than. On this interval, we now have seen a few of Linklater’s finest work, however we’ve additionally seen a few of his most questionable movies, ones that typically lose his coronary heart and spirit, or really feel like experimentations and non secular sequels and little extra. Hit Man, nonetheless, is Linklater’s curiosity in experimentation completed proper—making an attempt out a style that he’s by no means actually performed in earlier than, having a blast riffing on the tropes and themes that made him love the style, all whereas nonetheless making a movie that feels wholly his personal. It’s all the time great for Linklater to play and take a look at issues out on this approach, however Hit Man feels way more like successful than simply an experiment.