Glen Powell is proving to be quite the movie star, coming off two years of successful showings in Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You. In the upcoming Netflix movie Hit Man, audiences really get to see the actor stretch his wings, as his character Gary Johnson takes on several different personas while working undercover for the New Orleans police. Critics are raving about the movie — and its lead actor — as Hit Man’s Netflix release date approaches.
The movie was released to select theaters in May before it goes to streaming, and CinemaBlend’s Riley Utley cites this dark comedy as proof that Netflix needs to put its movies in theaters longer, since most of us will be robbed of what she found to be one of the best theatrical experiences of the year so far. Despite the size of the screen you see it on, however, Good Morning America’s Peter Travers contends you’ll be seeing one of the best movies of the year. The critic says:
What is Hit Man, really? A case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meet the Nutty Professor? A radical romance that hinges on Freud, Jung and Nietzsche? Or a chance for Powell to prove he's a powerhouse actor able to nail every nuance in a juicy, challenging role? How about all of the above? Without resorting to spoilers, I'd say go in without preconceptions for one of the best movies of the year, the kind you'll keep running back in your head with a smile that won't quit. How do you resist that? Two words: You don't.
Siddhant Adlakha of Mashable agrees Hit Man is one of 2024’s most killer comedies, thanks in part to its lead’s “ridiculous” characters, which inevitably have people wondering when Glen Powell is going to host SNL. By the time the credits roll on this one, Adlakha says, you'll wish it was ten times as long. The critic continues:
While it begins with a bog-standard, fish-out-of-water premise, it soon spirals into an enormously funny, multilayered film about romance, passion, identity, and the way love and lust warp people's perspective, driving them to do crazy things. At times, it's a comedic high-wire act, with scenes so simultaneously hilarious and tightly wound that its Venice Film Festival press screening was rife with regular applause breaks. Rightly so: It's nothing short of a perfect crowd-pleaser, with another star-making turn from Powell, who's as ridiculous and silly in the movie as he is charming and debonair.
David Fear of Rolling Stone says audiences’ suspension of disbelief may be challenged, but their faith in Glen Powell as the real deal can’t be shaken. Fear writes:
A true-crime parable that morphs into a surprisingly steamy romantic comedy and doubles as a dark farce about conflict resolution and capitalism, this story of a beta discovering his inner alpha feels like it’s juggling a number of different genres and tones without breaking a sweat. What the film really is, however, is a referendum on the lightly Southern-fried charm, the screen presence and the sheer wattage that the 35-year-old native of Austin, Texas, projects when you point a camera at him. You might have a hard time believing the actor is a dorky tech whiz — sorry, but Powell-plus-glasses-equals-nerd still rates as the worst Clark Kent get-up ever — who reluctantly takes to the faux-killer act. By the end, however, you’ll have no problem thinking he’s the 21st century’s version of Cary Grant.
Den of Geek’s David Crow, meanwhile, says Hit Man has found a way to have its pie and eat it too, with its deceptively clever script and the hot-to-the-touch chemistry between Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. According to Crow, this is easily the best film Netflix has secured in possibly over a year. Subscribers owe it to themselves to put their phones down and tune into this one, writing:
Hit Man is, indeed, a coming out party for much of the talent involved, be it on-the-cusp performers like Powell and co-star Adria Arjona (who is also superb), or [director Richard Linklater] who himself hasn’t felt this frisky and light of touch in nearly a decade. By modern standards, Hit Man might just be the new textbook definitions for a star vehicle and an irresistible crowdpleaser. Only this one is so infectious, so unapologetically giddy, that the fact you’re probably only ever going to see it on Netflix is a kind of crime worthy of its own summary execution. And if you feel that way, Linklater’s film will insist it knows a guy.
Jane Crowther of GamesRadar calls the movie a “damn good time,” with a screwball tone that harkens back to the late 1990s, especially with its lead couple, who sizzle as they play off of each other like Mr. and Mrs. Smith-era Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Crowther says:
Powell’s flirty, sexy, even argumentative scenes with Arjona are truly combustible - like watching Brangelina happen on screen - especially when the charismatic pair agree the terms of their unconventional relationship while cosplaying the mile-high club. They even manage to sell a touching love declaration as a man expires at their feet. Audiences will fall in love with both of them. And Powell’s end-of-semester speech about living your best life might inspire some to push the needle on how fixed their persona really is.
The critics above clearly think Hit Man is worth checking out, and their opinion is shared by more than just a few others. In fact, the Glen Powell comedy is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% critics’ rating. If you aren’t able to find this in a theater near you, be sure to fire up your Netflix subscription to catch it on streaming starting Friday, June 7. Also be sure to check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is coming soon (including another Powell project).
