Richard Linklater has always been one of my favorite filmmakers. From directing a childhood classic of mine such as The School of Rock, Dazed & Confused, the Before trilogy, and his experimental Boyhood, the director has certainly built a highly diverse career for himself. Even when the last few films he’s made haven’t quite reached the standards of his best work it remains an event for me whenever he has a new film. So it’s safe to say that it was quite the treat for me to have the chance to be a part of one of the very first audiences in the world to check out his latest film, Hit Man during my time at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hit Man is being labeled as a noir romantic comedy sort of true crime story and stars Glen Powell (Hangman of last year’s massive hit Top Gun: Maverick) whom I think is one of the most promising rising stars we have working today. The combination of Linklater & Powell’s star power results in one of the most ridiculously entertaining and funniest films I’ve seen in a long while.
Hit Man loosely follows the true story of a professor who moonlighted as an undercover cop for the police department with Glen Powell in the role of, Gary Johnson. Powell has for years now been turning in excellent work in mostly supporting roles including being one of the biggest breakout stars in last year’s incredible Top Gun: Maverick as Hangman. He’s established quite the versatile resume, but Hit Man is especially a great vehicle for him to showcase that undeniable leading man charm and it’s the best performance of his career to date. Powell is a great actor with excellent comedic sensibilities, but great dramatic range too and this great script allows him to display both. We don’t have too many true movie stars left in Hollywood, but Powell has always felt to have the makings of one and hopefully the success of this film can lead to even greater opportunities for him. His female counterpart Adria Arjona (Star Wars series Andor, Morbius) also delivers the best performance of her career. Acting as sort of the femme fatale to his centric hero, Arjona’s turn is mysterious, sexy, and yet she displays a lot of great comedic chops of her own as well. The romantic chemistry between the two is off the charts and they make for one of the most sizzling on-screen pairings in quite some time. The two are the beating heart of this film, but there are some great supporting turns too from the likes of Austin Amelio (Everybody Wants Some, The Walking Dead) & Reta (Donna from Parks & Recreation).
The screenplay that was co-written by both Linklater & Powell is razor sharp in its comedy, but also surprisingly has a lot to say about identities. It’s also a great romantic comedy that reminds its audience that movies can actually be really hot. And thank goodness for that because we’ve been living in an age of Hollywood that feels almost entirely deprived of hot romance. You’re rooting for our two romantic leads even as you are not entirely sure where their motivations may lie. The film is blending elements of noir, comedy, and classic romance all into one film. And it’s impressive how well Linklater & Powell together are able to inject these elements all seamlessly.
The film is taking obvious liberties with a story that is inspired by true events, but it always feels grounded and refreshingly low stakes. There’s no big twist or turns that aims to shock the audience, but the plot always remains engrossing and even unpredictable. And it’s really one of the funniest comedies in years. Linklater is no stranger to making great comedies, but the comedy in this one especially feels tailor made to play well with a big crowd and yet still feels natural as well. It’s definitely one of Linklater’s more mainstream films to date and that’s far from a complaint at all. And with a premise that felt dangerously close to wearing thin at the halfway mark, both Linklater & Powell manage to find ways to keep things fresh and exciting. And just when I feared this finale was about to go off the rails, Linklater finds a clever and emotionally satisfying wrap up that still rings true for these characters.
Hit Man is not only a home run, but also Linklater’s first great film since Everybody Wants Some all the way back in 2016 and dare I say it might be one of his greatest efforts to date. I’m not going to declare it a perfect film by any stretch, but it was by far the most fun I had watching any film during my time at the festival in Toronto and I can’t wait for audiences around the world to also get the chance to experience Linklater’s latest gem either. With a smart script, two incredibly charismatic leads in Powell & Arjona, and killer pacing, this is one ridiculously entertaining time at the movies that definitely demands to be seen with a good audience too. The film was finally picked up this past week by Netflix and that’s a suitable home for this film, but I’m going to really need the studio to commit to giving this one a traditional theatrical release as well because many of the film’s best moments are designed to play so well with a good crowd. Keep it on your radar.
Final Grade: A-