SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Should you sit back and relax at home with a new Richard Linklater film? ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty is here to help sort out what to see and what to skip.
Hit Man
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Richard Linklater
Written By:
Richard Linklater, Glen Powell, Skip Hollandsworth
Starring:
Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Retta
Genre:
Action, Comedy, Crime
Rated R
All media courtesy of Netflix
There are only a couple films so far this year that I look back to and think “I’d like to watch that again”. ‘Hit Man’ has been one of those since I first watched it and interviewed the cast and director Richard Linklater during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
This is a somewhat true story ripped right out of the headlines. No, literally, this was inspired by a news article about a guy who was thrust into the world of “fake Hit-Man”, where he would go undercover for the police disguised to meet up with someone who the law has suspected or intercepted them wanting to contract a killer-for-hire. Glen Powell spoke with director Richard Linklater about this and they both worked on the script together, and it’s one of the best shows out on Netflix right now.
Obviously, I love the premise here. Glen Powell does a great job leading this ship with a funny and charismatic performance that makes me excited to see what other passion projects he has cooking. This is a film that takes you into the world of informants and a subsection of them that is fascinating and thoroughly entertaining. His supporting actress Adria Arjona also brings a lot of charisma to her character. They have a very intense relationship that escalates but you believe their chemistry the entire time. One particular scene where they have to pretend to be in an argument will be one of my favorite moments of the year.
Overall, Richard Linklater proves again how great of an independent voice he is. I loved the writing, and the comedy, and think if you are looking for a fun movie night this should be moved to the very top of your list.
If you want to check out any of our amazing Sundance coverage of ‘Hit Man’, you can by going to our ABC4 YouTube channel or clicking here.
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