Hit Man

Star of Top Gun: Maverick Glen Powell – who is also in this summer’s remake of the 90s cheese-fest Twisters – stars in Hit Man, an action romcom directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused). Based on a true story (mild spoilers within), Glen Powell is Gary Johnson a mild mannered philosophy and psychology professor who lives a beige life of cats, a run of the mill car and an excessively neat and orderly flat. He does some side work for New Orleans police and he gets drawn into pretending to be a hit man, so they can get suspects on tape and catch them before they off anyone. As you probably guessed though he unwittingly falls for one of his suspects and ends up in the middle of a sticky and improbable situation. 

This is an entertaining romp with a vintage serving of action, laughs and slightly gratuitous sex. Gary tailors his hit man to the suspect and they are varied and amusing, from gun toting redneck and a charming womaniser to Russian spy. All these guises tie in nicely, albeit in a slightly route one manner, to his university class which asks students, amongst other things, what is the self and does one true version of it exist. The film nips along at an agreeable pace too, with the tension, double lives and double crossing bubbling away to an exciting, wrapped up in a neat little bow, finish. 

The onscreen chemistry between Glen Powell and Adria Arjona (In the gloriously stupid 6 Underground) provides a spark throughout, as both ooze charisma and charm. Another attention grabbing performance is Glens Everybody Wants Some!! co-star Austin Amelio, who plays the disgraced, ex undercover cop Jasper who is only out for himself with zeal. 

A successful mish mash of action, thriller and romcom, Hit Man is a thoroughly entertaining and refreshingly old school film whose 2 hours whizz by.

8/10