WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Hit Man (2024)!
Summary
Glen Powell’s critically acclaimed comedy movieHit Manserves as a perfect reminder to watch Netflix’s actual assassin movie from 2023. Inspired by thetrue story of undercover “hitman” Gary Johnson,Hit ManstarsTop Gun: Marverick’s Glen Powell as college professor-turned-fake assassin GaryandAndor’s Adria Arjona as Madison, a would-be “client” who falls in love with one of Gary’s fake hitman aliases. As Gary gradually transforms his personality to become “Ron,” chaos ensues when Madison’s husband actually winds up dead, further complicating Gary’s complex double life with Madison and the New Orleans Police Department.
Hit Man, directed and co-written by Richard Linklater, has received incredible reviews from critics and audiences alike. The 2024 Netflix film currently boasts an impressive “Certified Fresh” 97%Rotten Tomatoesscore, which beatsTop Gun: Maverickas Powell’s highest-rated movie on the review aggregator site. WhileHit Mancomically subverts typical assassin movie expectations under the creed that “hitmen aren’t real,”the film arrives at a great time after the success of another Netflix movie from 2023 that follows a real hitman. Not only do both hitman-related Netflix films come from two of the most celebrated modern directors, but they also received incredible reviews for their satires.
Hit Man’s Premise Is A Great Reminder To Watch Netflix’s The Killer Movie
Netflix’s 2023 movie The Killer follows an actual assassin
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Both Richard Linklater and David Fincher have proven mastery of various genres since their film breakthroughs in the 1990s, so it’s all the moreexciting that the two directors released popular hitman-based movies within a year of each other on Netflix. However, while Richard Linklater’sHit Mandoesn’t feature any real assassins and takes on a far more comedic tone, David Fincher’sThe Killerfollows a real contract killer with a more somber, serious approach. Still, the two filmmakers undeniably succeeded in their efforts, withHit Manholding a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes andThe Killerboasting an 85% score, ranking high for both directors’ critically acclaimed filmographies.
Hit Man True Story Accuracy: How Much Really Happened?
Richard Linklater’s Hit Man is based on the life of a real undercover agent, begging the question of what is real and what is fabricated.
Hit Man & The Killer Both Interestingly Dissect Assassin Movie Tropes & Archetypes
Netflix’s biggest recent assassin movies both flip genre tropes on their heads
Aside from simply having a fake or real hitman as their protagonist, Netflix’sHit ManandThe Killermovies share similarities in how they approach the action subgenre. Both films are unique in how they dissect the essence of a typical hitman movie, what’s expected of an assassin character in pop culture, and how those stories typically end for the assassins. Consequently,The KillerandHit Manare constantly flipping these assassin movie tropes on their heads, withRichard Linklater’s movie tackling the themes from a more overt psychological approachand David Fincher’s film looking at them with more subtlety in the character dynamics.
Both films are unique in how they dissect the essence of a typical hitman movie, what’s expected of an assassin character in pop culture, and how those stories typically end for the assassins.
In addition toHit Manreferencing several hitman and assassin moviesas examples of the “career killer” archetype being a myth, the 2024 Netflix film subverts the expectations of those hiring a hitman and their reasons for doing so. Gary has plenty of would-be clients inHit Man, who highlight the simultaneous ridiculousness and sincerity behind why different people would hire an assassin, which is where the film’s conflict takes off with Madison.Gary’s theories on personality psychology also prove accurate as he increasingly becomes more like his hitman alias Ron, withHit Man’s endingturning him into somewhat of a “real” assassin he didn’t believe in.
The Killer’s endingsimilarly approaches these tropes through the interactions between the killer and Claybourne, with the latter only understanding assassins through movies and TV shows while the former shockingly spares his life.The movie also dissects the tropes of a hitman’s reason for turning to a life of killing-for-hire, as Fassbender’s character initially has no motivation until the typicalJohn Wick-style revenge plot ensues with the attack on Magdala. From character names simply based on archetypal assassin roles (The Director, The Expert, etc.) to the killer missing his target and ending the story peacefully on the beach, Fincher’s film is a great satire on assassin movies.
11 Best Movies About Assassins & Hitmen (Like The Killer)
David Fincher’s The Killer is just the latest in a long line of great movies about hitmen and assassins, from Kill List to Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Hit Man & The Killer Are Highly Entertaining Movies From Two Of Hollywood’s Biggest Directors
Linklater & Fincher both released great crowd-pleasing assassin movies
Regardless of the similarities thatHit ManandThe Killershare with their premises and satires, the Netflix movies are also simplyamong the most entertaining movies in recent years to come from two huge Hollywood directors.The Killeris the most fun yet twisted film that David Fincher has released sinceGone Girlin 2014, withHit Manreviving a unique crowd-pleasing, casual format forRichard Linklater’s movies. Linklater’s 2016 filmEverybody Wants Some!!!was another fun hangout movie, but, unlikeHit Man, it largely fell under the radar upon release compared to his hit comedies like School of RockandDazed and Confused.
Hit Man
Cast
Hit Man centers on a mild-mannered professor involved in police sting operations as a fake hit man. His life spirals into chaos when he unexpectedly falls for a potential client, initiating a series of unforeseen complications and dilemmas.
