The Stream: Is this a fun fish-out-of-water comedy or a less fun romantic comedy?

The Big Screen: Glen Powell bringing charm, charisma and comedic excellence.

The Final Bill: A breezy, fun summer movie that checks all of the boxes.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater and Glen Powell based on the Texas Monthly Article by Skip Hollandsworth
Stars: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao
Genre: Comedy, Action, Crime, Romance
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content and some violence.
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
Production Companies: AGC Studios, Aggregate Films, Barnstorm Productions, Cinetic Media, Detour Pictures, Monarch Media, ShivHans Pictures, Netflix
Platform: On Netflix on June 7, 2024
Notable Trailers: Trigger Warning, A Family Affair, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

What’s up, Streamers!?! With a heatwave a-coming and summer nights getting steamy, it might be a good time to stay indoors and find something entertaining to stream. Luckily, Netflix recently released a much-anticipated comedy starring your favorite star on the rise, Glen Powell, called Hit Man. Powell co-wrote the screenplay with the director, Richard Linklater, loosely based on the true story of Gary Johnson, a nebbish college professor who becomes a successful undercover mole for the New Orleans police.

The premise of Hit Man is pretty simple. Powell plays Gary, who is a professor of psychology and philosophy by day and a tech assistant during undercover sting operations with the New Orleans Police Department in his off time. When one of the undercover officers gets unexpectedly suspended, Gary is tasked with posing as hit man for hire during an undercover operation. Gary shows special skills in the role that lead him to become the NOPD’s go-to guy for these stings until things get complicated by a damsel in distress, Madison (Adria Ajona). Costume changes, fake teeth and sexy-time hijinks ensue.

Hit Man is a highly entertaining movie, especially in the first half. It has two basic things going for it: an interesting, based-on-a-true-story premise and a good cast led by an excellent Glen Powell performance. The plot of an unassuming, normal guy who turns out to be a skilled undercover agent is very fun and has a lot of potential for laughs. The fish-out-of-water trope helps establish the comedy of the situation, and the fact that this movie has some basis in real life event only makes it more intriguing. The movie also finds a compelling theme about identity and whether a person can change their personality within the story. All these things work together for laughs and poignancy. Additionally, Glen Powell plays Gary at every stage with such great energy, charisma and strong comedic timing. He embodies the meekness of Gary as the professor and grows into the confidence of the undercover characters he plays. He’s funny and suave and believable in both roles. The wild costumes help, too. Gary’s cohorts in the police department, especially Retta and Sanjay Rao, and his love interest played by Adria Arjona have good chemistry with him and bring the rest of the story to life. They may have smaller roles, but they are nevertheless impactful.

My biggest gripe with the movie is that it takes a detour from the fish-out-of-water story to become like a romantic comedy. Powell and Arjona have excellent, sexy chemistry, but the love story feels tacked on and distracting from what is interesting at its core about Gary’s story. The film takes some chances as it moves towards its conclusion. I’m not sure they work. It doesn’t derail the movie or the enjoyment of it, but it just feels out of place and could be unsatisfying for some.

Ultimately, Hit Man is a fun movie lifted by a very charming performance from Glen Powell. Gary’s story is interesting even if the romance feels like a tacked-on afterthought. The entire cast brings something fun and engaging to the overall film. Grab a big box of popcorn, a group of friends, and fire up Netflix.