Netflix might have debuted one of the raunchiest comedy thrillers in recent years, but it’s HBO Max that is currently taking credit for the film on the streaming charts. Hot off the success of Anyone But You and Andor, respectively, Glen Powell and Adria Arjona teamed up with beloved filmmaker Richard Linklater for the long-awaited return of the R-rated comedy thriller. The film, Hit Man, was a big success for Netflix in 2024 and helped propel both actors’ careers to new heights, while Richard Linklater went back to making niche indie movies that are vastly underappreciated. But after moving to a new streamer, the film has made a comeback two years later.
Hit Man is now streaming on HBO Max, and the film is shooting its way up the streaming charts. Hit Man is currently the fourth most popular movie on the platform globally. Leonardo DiCaprio’s critical darling, One Battle After Another, currently holds the top spot, with the live-action How to Train Your Dragon in second, and the new horror Clown in a Cornfield (I wonder what that’s about) in third. Richard Linklater co-wrote the script with Glen Powell and Skip Hollandsworth. The story itself is loosely based on the real life of Gary Johnson, although Adria Arjona’s character, Madison, and her story are entirely fictitious.
Powell stars as Gary Johnson, a college professor who moonlights as a fake hitman for the police to catch people who want to hire such brutal services. One potential “client” is Madison (Adria Arjona), who tries to hire Gary to kill her abusive boyfriend. But, Gary and Madison end up falling for each other, with Gary spinning an increasingly convoluted web of lies. The official synopsis reads:
“Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater’s sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit man for the New Orleans Police Department. Preternaturally gifted at inhabiting different guises and personalities to catch hapless people hoping to bump off their enemies, Gary descends into morally dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to one of those potential criminals, a beautiful young woman named Madison (Adria Arjona). As Madison falls for one of Gary’s hit man personas — the mysteriously sexy Ron — their steamy affair sets off a chain reaction of play acting, deception, and escalating stakes.”
‘Hit Man’ Is “Deceptively Dark” & “Sexy” Thriller
Hit Man toes the line between an erotic thriller and an R-rated comedy. But, regardless of its identity crisis, audiences loved the movie. Hit Man holds a near-perfect 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a tremendous 89% audience score.
The critics’ consensus hails the movie as a “deceptively dark thriller that’s also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell.” Meanwhile, users praised the movie, with one user calling it an “excellent, fast-moving movie with an outstanding performance by Glen Powell, who is quickly becoming a superstar,” while another said, “Slick, nifty and benefitting from a sexy chemistry between Glen Powell and Adria Arjona.”
- Release Date
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May 24, 2024
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Producers
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Jason Bateman, John Sloss, Julie Goldstein, Steve Barnett, Stuart Ford, Glen Powell, Michael Costigan, Alan Powell, Shivani Rawat, Mike Blizzard, Miguel Palos, Vicky Patel, Megan Creydt, Scott Brown
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