Glen Powell recently revealed his plans for a temporary hiatus from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to return to his roots in Texas to complete his university education. His decision might seem out of place for a celebrity who has spent a considerable amount of time grabbing the public’s attention, ranging from his endearing performance as John Glenn in Hidden Figures to the sensational box-office hit, Anyone But You, alongside Sydney Sweeney. (Worry not, fanatics of Powell: Twisters will be released in theatres on 19th July.)
Hit Man, a film co-written by Powell and Richard Linklater, sees the Austin-based actor’s third joint venture with the director. Powell portrays Gary Johnson, a single, utterly charmless philosophy lecturer from a university in New Orleans, who also works as the technician for his local police service during its sting operations. A certain afternoon sees Gary fill in for the “contract killer”, acting as a hit man to draw in potential clients.
What follows is a secret life on par with the bewilderment of Clark Kent’s disguised persona: during the day, Gary drives a Honda Civic and enjoys time with his cats; come nightfall, he transforms into Ron, an intriguing, wig-donning contract killer.
This complex duality is further complicated by Madison (played by Adria Arjona), a young lady eager to get rid of her exploitative spouse. They plunge into a wild relationship, with Gary (or perhaps Ron) helping to cover her actions. “What if our self is just a construct?” Gary ponders to his pupils in one of the film’s more blatant scenes.
The movie, inspired by a profile of Johnson in Texas Monthly magazine by Skip Hollandsworth, is a flirtatious old-school adventure that masterfully plays with unreliable narration, physical humour, and the strain of keeping track of fabrications. The light-hearted mood and brisk progression conceal potentially intriguing darker themes, notably the morality of entrapment and a love story rooted entirely in deception and acts.
Arjona provides intensity to an otherwise underdeveloped role. Powell, with his ability to generate allure even from iPhone notes, unquestionably captures the spotlight.
Hit Man will be available on Netflix from June 7th, Friday.