Hit Man is an all new comic crime thriller that pairs well-regarded indie director Richard Linklater with rising star Glen Powell in a movie that has already created a solid bit of buzz.
Hit Man premiered during the 2023 fall film festival circuit, screening at both the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, where it received strong reviews and was eventually picked up by Netflix for distribution.
Are we going to get Hit Man as a new movie in 2023? Who else is starring in the movie? What is it about? Here's everything that we know about Hit Man right now.
Hit Man release date
At this time, there is no release date for Hit Man.
Netflix acquired the movie on September 18, according to Deadline. The report indicates that the streamer has the US and UK rights to the movie (as well as other international markets) and that there is a theatrical release component to the deal.
So, whenever Hit Man does premiere, it sounds like it is going to get a limited theatrical run in theaters before it lands on the streaming platform.
Hit Man plot
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell co-wrote the script for Hit Man, which is based on a real-life incident that was written as a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth. Here's the synopsis:
"Gary Johnson is a part-time teacher who moonlights as a mysterious gun man for hire. But there’s a catch in hiring him to off cheating spouses or abusive bosses — he’s working for the cops. When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband, he finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself."
Hit Man cast
In addition to co-writing the screenplay, Glen Powell stars in Hit Man as Gary Johnson. Powell's star power has really begun to rise in recent years, particularly with roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Devotion and Set It Up. He also has a previous history with Richard Linklater, starring in the director's Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1/2 and Fast Food Nation.
Ardia Arjona also stars in the movie as the woman that Gary falls for. Viewers will recognize Arjona from her roles on Andor, Father of the Bride, Irma Vep and Morbius.
Here are other members of the cast, according to IMDb.
Hit Man trailer
There is no trailer for Hit Man at this time. When one becomes available we'll add it here.
Hit Man reviews
Though it's not clear when Hit Man is going to release to general audiences, many critics have already seen the movie and have been singing its praises in reviews. As of September 18, Hit Man has an impressive 98% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here are some samplings from the reviews:
Ty Burr, Ty Burr's Watch List: "A witty, relaxed, and cheerfully fictionalized comedy-caper-romance."
Ben Croll, The Wrap: "The comedy is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle for actor Glen Powell."
Jo-Ann Titmarsh, London Evening Standard: "An intelligent comedy that contains plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and references Kant and Nietzsche, it is also a thriller that is darker than it first appears."
Richard Linklater movies
Richard Linklater is an acclaimed director, though as most of his work has been of the more indie variety (with a couple bigger movies sprinkled in), it can sometimes feel like he is a bit lost in the shuffle. However, just look at his list of directing credits to remind yourself that he is one of the best in the business:
- It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1988)
- Slacker (1990)
- Dazed and Confused (1993)
- Before Sunrise (1995)
- SubUrbia (1996)
- The Newton Boys (1998)
- Waking Life (2001)
- Tape (2001)
- School of Rock (2003)
- Before Sunset (2004)
- Bad News Bears (2005)
- Fast Food Nation (2006)
- A Scanner Darkly (2006)
- Inning by Inning: Portrait of a Coach (2008)
- Me and Orson Welles (2008)
- Bernie (2011)
- Before Midnight (2013)
- Boyhood (2014)
- Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
- Last Flag Flying (2017)
- Where'd You Go Bernadette (2019)
- Apollo 10 1/2 (2022)
