Sorry for disappearing, I forgot who I was. But we’re back now.
I recently saw Hi Man, the film that seems to be taking all my critic peers by storm, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually liked it. I was familiar with Glen Powell from his work on Scream Queens way back when, playing douchebag boyfriend Chad Radwell to comedic perfection. I then saw him in the most mediocre film of all time, Anyone But You, which again fell in line with his brand — comedy douchebag boyfriend, only with the volume turned down. When I saw he was starring in Hit Man, I assumed more of the same kind of character: a smarmy douche that Chirs Evans would play otherwise.
But what I got instead was yes, another Chris Evans type role, but one that was strikingly different for Glen Powell. Powell plays Gary, an awkward and shy college professor who also works for the police doing undercover work. When Gary does great posing as a hit man, they decide to take him on full time. We then get to see Powell doing something that I didn’t know he could do which is incredible character work — we have a montage where we spend approximately 30 seconds with a multitude of different assassin personas, yet each has a distinct voice, personality, and character. Powell’s transformation is subtle but striking, and I felt bad for thinking he was a one trick pony all of these years.
All while Gary is living it up as Hit Man of the Year, things take a turn when he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a young woman trying to put a hit out on her abusive husband. When she begins to fall for one of his characters, and Gary in turn begins to fall for her, chaos ensues in the best way possible with twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While I am quick to praise Powell, I would be remiss if I also didn’t praise Arjona’s performance as Madison. She’s crazy, she’s sweet, and she’s someone you can’t trust but ultimately root for. Madison really is a very unique character that carries so much of the action of the film. It’s wonderful to see a woman character not be the heart of the movie, but an active participant in the plot, and Arjona’s is so much fun on screen. She and Powell have amazing chemistry and are a great pairing — I’m hoping they somehow get a sitcom spin off. What I expected to be a slapstick comedy feels more like a psychological thriller comedy at times, a genre I didn’t know I needed until now. The performances enhance an already tidy and sharp script, the quick dialogue and brilliant use of no speaking at all help keep everything going at a steady pace and keep audiences engaged. The twists in this movie are great in that when they happen, you are pleasantly surprised and impressed. There’s nothing wrong with having characters that are competent, and this movie is full of characters who have their shit together — a huge sigh of relief in modern media, which is nothing but ingenues stumbling through the plot. There are a few meandering scenes, but those are few and far between in this film. And even for those scenes I think went on a bit too long, they are followed immediately by a stroke of genius that pulls me right back in. The ending in particular makes the whole film worthwhile, perfectly tying everything together with a neat little bow and wrapping up all loose ends — just like a good hitman would.
Hit Man was a pleasant surprise, and a good reminder for me to step outside of the horror genre every once in awhile because you never know when a good movie will come along. I needed something to get me out of my rut, and Hit Man did just that by being provocative, fun, and different enough from the other nonsense out right now.
I would highly recommend.