Shadows on the Wall

Hit Man

dir Richard Linklater
scr Richard Linklater, Glen Powell
prd Mike Blizzard, Richard Linklater, Glen Powell, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan
with Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Evan Holtzman, Molly Bernard, Gralen Bryant Banks, Kate Adair, Martin Bradford, Morgana Shaw, Ritchie Montgomery
release US/UK 24.May.24
23/US Netflix 1h55

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With a groovy vibe, this snappy comedy-drama tells the true story of a guy whose alter ego begins to take over his life. Filmmaker Richard Linklater and actor-cowriter Glen Powell have fun with the story while finding fascinating things to say about the complexities of morality in some slippery situations. And even though things get a bit nasty along the way, the tone remains refreshingly light and amusing.

New Orleans philosophy professor Gary (Powell) has a quiet life but moonlights doing odd jobs with the police. Then when an undercover officer (Amelio) has to drop out, Gary's cop cohorts (Retta and Rao) ask him to pose as a hitman in a sting operation. He enjoys playing the role, and especially what it reveals about human conscience. But on a case he begins to fall for Madison (Arjona), who hires him to bump off her violent husband (Holtzman). The question is how to break the truth to her without breaking the law.

It's fun to watch Gary go so deep, hilariously tailoring his persona to each client with clothes, wigs, makeup and ridiculous accents. The hitch is that Madison knows him as "Ron" the hitman, who is a far cooler, more confident version of Gary. So their romance is steamy and sexy, sharply played in a way that's also witty and engaging because of the reality that feels just out of reach. And both Powell and Arjona bring out the internal yearnings of the characters behind the playacting.

Gary finds that life is much better as the confident Ron, who begins to seep into his everyday life. And the sparky chemistry between Powell and Arjona adds charm to their rather complex love story. As Gary notes, hitmen don't actually exist; they're a fantasy invented by films and TV that people believe are real. The irony is that in pretending to be one, Gary discovers who he actually is. As he tells his students, "Seize the identity you want for yourself."

This is a clever collision of clear-cut morality and blurry ethics. And the romcom set-up uses these ideas to add provocative wrinkles, leading to several terrific scenes between Gary and Madison. As the film shifts into more of a thriller, with a series of twists and turns that begin to close in on the characters, the plot begins to feel a little belaboured, pushing the blackly comical premise to the breaking point. But the snarky tone saves the day, leaving us with a big smile.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 15.May.24

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