‘Hit Man’ is a noir comedy that takes a light-hearted relook at the life of a so-called ‘Hired-Killer’ in New Orleans. This dark romantic tale explores the bleak and cynical world of hard-boiled murder crime in the USA.

Inspired by a true story, this movie is an adaptation of a lengthy narrative article by Skip Hollandsworth. His long-form article titled ‘Hit Man’ was published in Texas Monthly in October 2001.

‘Hit Man’ Almost Hits The Right Notes In This Entertaining Film

Trailer: Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie

Spoiler Free Review: Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie

The storyline/plotline/summary/synopsis

Drawing inspiration from an incredible real-life account, an upright academic (Glen Powell) discovers his concealed aptitude as an imposter assassin named Gary Johnson during covert operations conducted by the police. In New Orleans, Gary Johnson is the most highly sought-after professional murderer. Regarded by his clients as a character straight out of a film, he is the enigmatic gun-for-hire. But in reality, this scholarly person, who teaches at a university, also moonlights as a hitman on behalf of the city police. Being employed by the local police, in case a person (s) hires him to murder someone, then such person (s) are arrested by the cops.

Everything was going fine. However, in a twist of fate, Gary encounters a client Madison (Adria Arjona) who becomes his perfect match romantically. Not only does he fall head over heels in love with her but he also disregards the police protocols to aid a desperate woman attempting to escape an abusive spouse. He finds himself assuming one of his false (hitman) personas, falling for her, and toying with the idea of embracing a life of crime. As a result, he ventures into perilous and uncertain territory as he becomes infatuated with a woman who seeks his services. So, this unassuming professor, who leads a double life as a counterfeit hitman in police operations, triggers a chain reaction of troubles when he becomes enamoured with a beautiful female client.

We liked the script & direction of the film

Richard Linklater, Glen Powell and Skip Hollandsworth have written the script for this entertaining neo-noir. And they have done a commendable job. We have always admired the work of the writer and director Richard Linklater. Especially, we have loved these two – “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013) films – written and directed by him in the past.

Once again, the writer and director Richard Linklater has kept us hooked into a dark romantic comedy set in the real world of crime and passion. We have hinted in the preceding paragraphs at the unusual setting of the love story. In this film, the hitman Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) and his client Madison (Adria Arjona) get romantically involved under the most bizarre circumstances. Their secret love affair leads to a lot of chaos and confusion. There are lots of (expected and unexpected) twists and turns to keep us hooked for almost two hours.

Also, we liked the performances of the lead pair of Glen & Adria

In the past, we have complained about Glen Powell’s performance in the Anyone But You (2023) movie. However, he has not only written the film script but also acted masterfully as the fake hitman in this Hit Man (2024) film. In this film, Glenn Powell plays Gary Johnson, a hired gun. So, this character of Gary possesses an otherworldly talent for assuming various identities. In addition, he preys on unsuspecting individuals seeking to eliminate their foes. While watching the film, one could see Glen playing the different personas of the hitman (check the movie poster shared below) in his unique style.

While watching this movie, we were charmed by the acting performances of the protagonist played by Glen Powell and his love interest portrayed by Adria Arjona. Their on-screen chemistry looked hot and passionate in the film. Moreover, this dark comedy often takes us into the morally compromised world that we all inhabit. One often wonders, why human relationships are so complicated that people want to kill and murder others. Perhaps, that is the harsh reality of real life. And one must seriously think about the subject.

The conclusion

In case you do not wish to dwell on its sombre and gloomy central theme, then simply, go ahead and focus on the surprising love story of Madison (Adria Arjona) and Gary (Glen Powell). Both of them looked good together. We enjoyed this dark but smart crime comedy. It has quite a few light-hearted moments. But the core is made up of crime. The ending of the movie was so unexpected. We did not see that coming. But no judgment, really.

Rating: Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie

Posters: Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie

Key Details: Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie

Spoiler Alert: Brief about real Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson, the real-life inspiration for the film, unfortunately passed away early in the production process and did not have the opportunity to witness the final product. Movie-director Richard Linklater communicated with him solely over the phone and never had the chance to meet him face-to-face. The initial script was set in Houston to reflect Gary Johnson's hometown, but due to financial constraints such as Texas tax credits, the decision was made to relocate the filming to New Orleans.

Posters & Featured Images of the Hit Man (2024/USA) Movie are credited to Netflix.