Speaking of Netflix, one of the best-reviewed films of last year’s fall fests is currently playing in select theaters, but you wouldn’t even know it. It’s, more or less, being dumped by the streaming giant.
Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which is playing in very limited release, just for an awards-qualifying run, is not being discussed much right now. That’s what happens when you don’t take the theatrical experience seriously, your film just gets lost in the algorithm.
“Hit Man” was a critical darling at Venice and TIFF 2023, but that wasn’t enough for Netflix to give it a qualifying run last year, which is when it should have been in contention, not this year. Instead, it’s now being released, nine months later, and the buzz has, more or less, dissipated.
Netflix bought “Hit Man” at TIFF for $20 million. It was the biggest deal of the festival. They also snatched up Anna Kendrick’s “Woman of the Hour,” for $11 million, and that one is also being released sometime this year.
The film stars Glenn Powell (“Top Gun: Maverick”) as Gary Johnson, a police staff investigator who plays the role of a hit man to catch individuals ordering a hit. He ends up falling hard for Madison (Adria Arjona) whom he talks out of a hit on her abusive husband.
This was a surprisingly sexy and darkly funny noir from Linklater. It kept messing with my head as characters switched identities and lies upon lies kept piling up. Powell’s shape-shifting performance is definitely what you’d call a career booster, but I must also mention Adria Arjona as the femme fatale — she’s stunning. Her chemistry with Powell in this film is electric.
With “Hit Man,” Linklater cements his status one of the best working filmmakers today, his filmography says it all: “Dazed and Confused,” “Boyhood,” “The School of Rock,” “Waking Life,” “Bernie,” “Everybody Wants Some,” and, of course, the ‘Before’ trilogy. Some of his under-the-radar gems include “Me and Orson Welles,” “Tape,” and “Apollo 10 1/2.”
“Hit Man” will be available to stream on June 7.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.