Warning: Spoilers For Hit Man Ahead!
Summary
Adria Arjona addresses the last lingering mystery about Madison inHit Man. Glen Powell’s latest film tackles thestory of Gary Johnson, a philosophy professor who ends up with a side gig as a fake hit man for police sting operations. While Powell takes the top billing on the Richard Linklater-directed film for Netflix,Hit Man’s story also belongs to Arjona’s Madison, who starts a relationship with Gary’s Ron persona after initially wanting to hire him to kill her abusive husband, Ray. In an unexpected twist, however, Madison ends up killing Ray herself.
Hit Mannever clarifies why Madison kills Ray, as her claims of proactive self-defense don’t quite explain the significant life insurance payout she stands to receive after his death. Talking toGQ, Arjona says that they purposefully left this up to the audience’s interpretation, but there are also more factors at play. Read her full quote below:
I don’t think that question should be answered. I think that’s very much to the interpretation of the audience. I definitely have mine, but I don’t wanna ruin it for everybody else… Yeah. [Laughs.] Maybe it’s a little bit of both [self-defense and the insurance money]. I personally think that [the husband] coming out and being like, ‘I wanna kill her and her boyfriend,’ and her being in this fantasy of being the partner in crime of this hitman, and she’s never felt safer… is this part of her fantasy of this femme fatale, this perfect woman for Ron? This is a question, I don’t know. Could be, it just kind of backfired on her.
I think she’s putting on a mask for herself. Like, ‘Oh wait, maybe I should’ve been grieving a little more…' By saying “everyone grieves in their own way,” she’s kind of protecting herself in a way, of going like, ‘I didn’t kill him!’ You know, ‘he wasn’t a good guy!’ It’s hard to mourn someone that’s done so much damage to her, and it’s quite truthful, what’s she’s saying; it’s complicated. It’s this person that I once loved, I once committed to, I married this person, and this person ended up turning out to be this monster, and destroyed me, and stripped me of all my womanhood, and I don’t know who I am anymore, and because of that I’m creating all of these characters to kind of reinvent myself, or find myself again. But those are alligator tears, for sure.
Madison’s Ambiguous Motive Could Make For A Great Hit Man 2
A Sequel Could Explore Madison’s Criminal Instincts In Greater Depth
While Arjona doesn’t give an official answer to this lingering Madison mystery, that isn’t exactly a bad thing, since it may offer a narrative opening for a potential sequel.Hit Man’s endingbrings Gary and Madison’s story to a satisfying close, flashing forward to the pair happily married with two kids.They got away with the murders of both Ray and Jasper, Gary’s corrupt colleague,and considering their much bigger home, it’s possible they ended up with Ray’s insurance money. But the plot could be revisited with a focus on Madison’s criminal instincts instead.
In a recent interview, Linklater was asked about thepossibility of makingHit Man 2. Despite the movie’s resounding success, even dethroningTop Gun: Maverickas Powell’s highest-rated project on Rotten Tomatoes, the director isn’t promising anything. Smartly,he points out thatHit Manis way too new to discuss a potential follow-up. Also, unlike many movies nowadays, it doesn’t explicitly set up a sequel – but as Arjona’s nuanced answer indicates, there’s certainly more to unpack about Madison. It would be fun to see her somehow team up with Gary in his undercover work.
Gary’s hit man aliaseswere one of the best parts of the movie, and Powell got to show off his acting talent by doing a great job inhabiting them. A sequel could give Madison a chance to adopt some personas, and based on her performance in the film, Arjona would be up for the challenge.Hit Manmakes a great standalone feature, but the chance spend a bit more time with Madison should make another installment at least worth considering.
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.
