In an era where it seems exceedingly more difficult for actors to become box office draws, a few have been able to defy the odds. After several mainstream projects under his belt, Glen Powell broke out into the spotlight with his supporting role in Top Gun: Maverick. Through his break-out role, Powell went on to solidify himself as an up-in-coming powerhouse in the industry with his war period piece Devotion and his rom-com Anyone But You. Demonstrating his ability to charmingly carry a film, Powell displays his talent in his recent Netflix film, Hit Man. 

Blurring the Lines of Reality

Hit Man stars Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, a psychology and philosophy professor for the University of New Orleans who simultaneously works for the police department conducting undercover sting operations. During one of the operations, the officer who normally portrays a hitman for hire to get confessions out of suspects is suspended, causing Gary to be forced into the role. Realizing he’s a natural at the job, Gary quickly excels in the role. He begins taking on more cases, going so far as donning a different persona for each  suspect to align with their vision of what a hitman is. Soon he stumbles across a married woman, Madison (Adria Arjona), and Gary breaks protocol when he finds himself falling in love with her. 

Richard Linklater, the man behind classics such as Dazed and Confused, the Before trilogy, Boyhood, and School of Rock, directed the film and wrote it along with Powell, earning his first writing credit. Co-starring alongside Powell and Arjona are Austin Amelio, Molly Kate Bernard, Retta, and Evan Holtzman. The movie is loosely based on a 2001 magazine article by Skip Hollandsworth, who wrote about a college professor in the 80s and 90s, who also worked for the Houston police department as a bogus hitman for hire. Hit Man was released in select theaters on May 24th before dropping on Netflix on June 7th. 

While the film centers around a hitman, it subverts the sub-genre by being a rom-com, centered on a fake hitman for hire. While the film is based on a true story, it makes several claims about the reality of hitmen, noting how Hollywood has exaggerated the reality of the existence of hitmen. These claims supply a nice way to introduce the film by providing viewers with  information that most will likely not know, while also establishing the events that are to unfold. All of this information left Hit Man feeling refreshing and original, as it avoided all of the tropes of the genre. It instantly paved a new path for the movie, but still was able to appeal to viewers who wanted to watch a movie about a hitman.

The Non-Lethal Hitman

The originality of the movie is only elevated by Powell’s stand-out performance. In previous movies, such as Anyone But You and his latest, Twisters, Powell demonstrates that he has a natural charisma on screen. This charm has been present throughout his career, even in his smaller roles, such as in Everybody Wants Some!! (also written and directed by Linklater), but this instant appeal isn’t used as a crutch in Hit Man. 

Powell’s role as Gary is slightly complicated, as he has to play various versions of Gary and the numerous personas he has with everyone  he interacts with. At the same time, Powell also has to depict the several styles of hitmen Gary portrays, adding to the different levels of acting he has to communicate. These necessary skills force both the character and Powell to wear multiple hats for each interaction, with Powell perfectly able to distinguish himself from scene to scene. At the start of the movie, Gary is shown to be a nerdy, introverted, slightly awkward professor, who also happens to have an interesting side job with the police. As the movie progresses, his character evolves to be more confident and outgoing, with his personality becoming a blend of all of the hitmen he has portrayed, almost burying the real Gary. Powell’s performance is one that easily could have been fumbled by any other actor, but Powell handles it with care and proves himself to be a serious talent.