The movie going experience – namely how you see a film – has a profound effect on how you experience the film itself. There are some films that simply require the setting to determine its effects. The translation of excitement and themes and investment can often be dictated by whether or not the film requires you to have a shared experience or can be enthralled all the same on your couch with a phone in a hand. I for one am a huge believer in the theatrical experience for most cinema, the only exception being documentaries, whose impact can often be felt just the same on any screen or setting, big or small. “Hit Man” is a film that begs to be seen on the big screen with a crowd; not for its visuals like “Avatar” where the screen itself engrosses you into Pandora with dazzling lights and 3D animation (which wears thin after 30 minutes and you realize there’s still another 3 hours of this unskippable cut scene) but rather for its crowd pleasing, raucous reactions that “Hit Man” consistently delivers.
Hot people being hot with each other and oozing seduction and sexiness is one thing, but “Hit Man” dazzles even more with its whip smart script and staging that requires a shared experience with others. There are triumphant moments that work best when the crowd claps and cheers, hilarious moments that boost the laughter when you join in with others, and a sultry stardom of hotness that just feels better being surrounded by other people. “Hit Man” is a theatrical film, made for the big screen and thrives in that environment. Which is why is a damn shame that Netflix shelled out $20 million to snag it out of the festival circuit, the largest purchase of them all in 2023. “Hit Man” is too good for Netflix, a film who’s impact is multiplied 10 fold in a dark theater and a giant screen with people celebrating cinema with you. On your small screen, half watched through your doom scrolling while you struggle to stay awake on your comfy sofa is a massive disservice to one of the best films of the year. Yes, “Hit Man” is one of the best films of the year, a genuine crowd pleaser that bursts with sex appeal and proves that Glen Powell (“Top Gun: Maverick“) is a bonafide movie star.
There is just no reason “Hit Man” should be lost in the shuffle of an endless Netflix queue. Releasing on streaming makes it easily skippable instead of can’t miss cinema. it diminishes so many of the film’s best moments, shreds through its thrilling impact of its sexy characters, and disepates the need for applause where it counts. Everything “Hit Man” does well is dulled by 50% because you’ll most likely be watching it at home on whim, knowing nothing about it except that its in the new release queue and you’ll watch it when you feel like it. Which, if we’re being honest, may be never. “Hit Man” deserves better, and is a prime example of how disruption can lead to destruction if we’re not careful. The doom and gloom of the state of theaters continues to swell as streamers become the head honchos in town and swallow up every single thing it can to get a few eyeballs on their slate for advertisers and shareholder profits. And boy oh boy, can they not WAIT to replace half of their content with AI generated garbage.
But I digress. I only emphasis the problem with streaming vs theaters to articulate how much better “Hit Man” is in a theater. My movie going experience had a profound impact on how I experienced the film, and is why I am such a champion for its success AND rank it as one of my favorite films of 2024. They just don’t make them like this anymore, and Richard Linklater seems to understand the value of the theatrical experience and movie stardom and how to meld the two into a one of kind but also longingly nostaglic cinematic event. An event that will now never be captured unless you got to see it in Venice or Toronto, or somehow managed to catch screening in the 40 something theaters it was released in for less than a full week before it gets dumped onto Netflix next weekend. “Hit Man” is a film for the people, for the crowds, for the cinephiles and horny lovers alike. It is a uniting experience that, were it given its proper release would be championed all the way to the Oscars among the fans, and would absolutely CRUSH at the VMAs. Instead, it will be forgotten in a week, replaced by 40 new streaming releases that you’ll inevitably start watching and forget that you meant to watch “Hit Man” altogether.
Written and directed by Linklater (“Dazed and Confused,” “Boyhood,” “Before” trilogy) “Hit Man” follows Gary Johnson (Powell), a dorky college professor who sometimes moonlights an audio guy for an undercover unit in New Orleans. When the lead undercover detective doesn’t show up for the sting, Gary is charged with taking his place. Discovering he has a knack for theatrics and pretending to be someone he’s not, Gary soon becomes a fake hitman, going undercover to get unsuspecting people to admit they are hiring him to kill someone on their behalf. He matches their energy and expectations, and becomes real good at being anybody but himself. That is until he meets Maddy (Adria Arjona), a gorgeous but battered housewife who wants Gary to kill her husband. Stricken by her looks and desperation, Gary advises her against hiring him and does not go through with the sting. Instead, they develop a sexy relationship, with Maddy believing she is dating a killer and Gary constantly donning his alter ego persona to maintain the lie. Their relationship soon gets in the way when her husband turns up dead, and both of their lives together and apart become entangled with the mystery of who each of them really are.
Linklater has always been a sort of “one for me” director, the kind of filmmaker who never collects a studio check to fund his passion projects. He consistently stays true to himself and makes the films he wants to make. “Hit Man” is by far and away his most entertaining and generally accessible outing, his best in years and a film that reaches far beyond the movie nerds that follow his work. It is a testament to the star power of Powell, who solidifies himself as a genuine movie star. Sure, he’s got a sort of “She’s All That” thing going on in “Hit Man,” where all you have to do is remove the nerdy glasses and cargo shorts and suddenly your professor is the hottest man you’ve ever seen in your life. But Powell is so goddamn charming and charismatic and varied in “Hit Man” that that doesn’t really matter as much as you might think. He is so damn funny here and clearly taps into the cadence of Linklater’s writing style. This is how you put someone over; give up great material and let them cook.
Of course, Powell wouldn’t be as great without his co-star Arjona, who matches his sex appeal and charisma beat for beat. You’d think two hot people being hot and basically ravaging each other for most of the film would feel more like a sleezy skinemax film than contender for best film of the year, but “Hit Man” is smart enough and well crafted enough to use its sex as a weapon instead of an exploitative endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, “Hit Man” is horny as hell, and if you’re one of those weirdos still going on and on about “we don’t need sex scenes in movies” then you should definitely skip this one. It is not explicit, but it also doesn’t shy away from the assets of sexiness it has at its disposal on screen. Linklater is smart enough to know how to put all of the elements together in balance; sex, comedy, murder, crime caper, and romcom all co-existing in a never dull, constantly entertaining film.
Buried underneath the hotness and lust and horny on main elements are some rich, deeper themes about identity, change, and what it means to be our true self. Linklater clearly has some philosophical queries on his mind about these things, and “Hit Man” asks those questions of its audience as we watch Gary wrestle with and shape himself from who he thinks he is, who he pretends to be, and who he could be when the dust settles. For such a silly, sultry, entertaining movie, it shockingly has a lot to chew on beneath the surface, and begins to reveal its true colors after a few viewings. Linklater seems to understand that the best way to get these things across is to just make a damn good movie, one that is just so fun to watch and experience while also inducing some flushed cheeks. Turn your audience on and you can get your message across, and “Hit Man” is one hell of a turn on.
“Hit Man” is why people should go to the movies. It has a little something for everyone, and sparks the core memories of what it felt like to experience an event on the silver screen. “Hit Man” is what Nicole Kidman means when she says “We come to this place for magic.” It is seriously that good, way too good for Netflix. There is a scene in third act that is so riveting and well staged, written, and performed my audience erupted with applause after. And I know from some colleagues who saw it in some secondary festival screenings like Sundance that even in a press screening comprised of mostly people who had already seen it, the applause still stood. You just won’t get that experience at home. Even if you feel like clapping, your pets aren’t gonna join in and you’ll feel silly. Not in a theater, surrounded by a crowd as enthralled and excited by the film’s riveting moments.
“Hit Man” is a crowd pleasure that needs to be seen with that crowd in a theater, and if you have the opportunity to do so before it’s too late, do it. Keep cinema alive. Keep sexiness in cinema alive. Whatever you do, don’t skip “Hit Man.”
All pie is good pie, indeed.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
“Hit Man” is playing in select theaters and will be available to stream on Netflix June 7th. You can watch the trailer below.
