Mild-mannered professor takes on the persona of a ‘Hit Man’ in this twisted story: NPR

DAVE DAVIES, HOST:

It’s FRESH AIR. Director Richard Linklater first cast Glen Powell in a film in 2006, playing a small role in “Fast Food Nation,” and most recently in Linklater’s 2022 film, “Apollo 10 1/2.” That same year, Powell made another film, alongside Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick,” and suddenly, Glen Powell was a movie star. Last year, he directed a romantic comedy, “Anyone But You,” starring Sydney Sweeney, which, like “Top Gun: Maverick,” was a major box office success. And now he’s the star of a new film that he co-wrote with Richard Linklater, who is also directing. It’s called “Hit Man” and after its recent limited theatrical release, it’s coming to Netflix on Friday. Our TV critic David Bianculli has this review.

DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: “Hit Man” is based on a Texas Monthly article, written by Skip Hollandsworth, which tells a very improbable true story. Mild-mannered philosophy professor Gary Johnson was passionate enough about technology that he earned money in his spare time working with local police to set up recording and listening devices for their undercover operations . One day, while in the audio surveillance truck, Gary was called into action to replace an undercover cop and was asked to pose as a hitman. And just like that, Gary’s life changed dramatically. The “Hit Man” film is co-written by Glen Powell, who plays Gary, and Richard Linklater, who also directs, working with Powell for the fourth time. They give each other the freedom to have fun, and it’s contagious. Powell, whose Gary conjures several hitman alter-egos, attacks his roles as Peter Sellers playing various roles in “Dr. Strange Love.”

And Linklater, as a director, can dive headfirst into action scenes and love scenes that aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind for the ‘Boyhood,’ ‘School Of Rock’ director and “Dazed And Confused.” After a first half quite close to the real events, the rest of “Hit Man” launches into the imagined fantasy, which makes it, as this film announces at the beginning, a somewhat true story. But go ahead.

At first, Powell’s Gary Johnson is like Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” lecturing to students in his New Orleans class who are barely paying attention and, like him, completely unaware that the lecture he’s giving is about to describe his own life path.

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GLEN POWELL: (as Gary) So what does Nietzsche mean when he says that the secret to reaping the greatest fecundity, the greatest pleasure from existence is to live dangerously? Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius, send your ships to uncharted seas, experience war with your peers and with yourselves. Where is he going here? Anybody? Sylvie.

JORDAN JOSEPH: (as Sylvia) Sounds like he’s saying you need to expose yourself. You have to take risks and get out of your comfort zone because life is short. You must live with passion and on your own terms.

POWELL: (As Gary) Well, I have a three-word answer to that: ab, so, luthly.

BIANCULLI: Gary is a divorced man who lives alone, drives a Honda Civic and only eats breakfast after feeding his pets and watering his plants. But once Gary is led to meet a man who is there to hire someone he thinks is a hitman, Gary takes the mission and the role very seriously. And as his fellow cops listen from the van and Gary gives himself an internal pep talk, his transformation into hitman instantly takes hold.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “HIT MAN”)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) So how long have you been doing this?

POWELL: (As Gary) It’s none of your (expletive) business.

RETTA: (As police officer, laughing) Look at Gary.

POWELL: (As Gary) You called me to do a job.

SANJAY RAO: (As Phil) This man is a natural.

RETTA: (As police officer) I’m playing some kind of offense here.

POWELL: (As Gary) You don’t know me. I do not know you. And at some point in the future, that will be a good thing. We’re not going to be friends. You got it?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Got it.

POWELL: (As Gary) Breathe. Think about the thoughts of the hitman.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) So what?

POWELL: (As Gary) So you’re evaluating me. Am I the right person to solve your problem? And just so you know, I’m rating you too.

BIANCULLI: And Gary went, approaching each assignment as if it were the lead in the school play, using every method, with elaborate disguises, accents and even imaginary stories. According to Gary, his job is to become each target’s ideal version of a hitman in order to close the deal. And each target has a different vision. But eventually a potential target dumps him, a woman named Madison who wants him to kill her abusive husband. While she falls for his act, he falls for her, falls in love, and turns “Hit Man” into a very twisted sort of romantic comedy.

And it works so well in part because of Adria Arjona, who plays Madison and currently plays Bix in the Star Wars TV series “Andor.” When she played Laurie, the star’s ex-lover in the TV miniseries “Irma Vep”, she lit up every scene and demanded and deserved attention. I know it’s a pretty obscure reference, but it does it here too. And there’s also strong support from two of the co-stars who play the cops in Gary’s undercover operation, Austin Amelio, who played Dwight in “Walking Dead,” and Retta, who played Donna in ” Parks And Recreation. Overall, the performances are strong, the writing is clever, and the tone is light and funny, but sometimes sexy or suspenseful. Don’t expect a faithful retelling of Gary Johnson’s life story, but do expect to sit back and enjoy some of the possibilities imagined.

DAVIES: David Bianculli is a professor of television studies at Rowan University. He reviewed the new Netflix movie “Hit Man.” On tomorrow’s show, we’ll hear from writer Colson Whitehead. After writing two Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys,” he began writing crime novels set in Harlem. His newest Criminal Manifesto is an entertaining read about crime at all levels, from petty crooks and revolutionaries to cops, politicians and Harlem’s elite. It is now available in paperback. I hope you can join us. To keep up to date with the show and get highlights from our interviews, follow us on Instagram at @nprfreshair.

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DAVIES: The executive producer of FRESH AIR is Danny Miller. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Ann Marie Baldonado, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Therese Madden, Thea Chaloner, Susan Nyakundi and Joel Wolfram. Our Digital Media Producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. To Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, my name is Dave Davies.

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