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The action comedy film Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater, released a brand new trailer on Netflix. The Linklater-directed feature, starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2023, and is now gearing up for its Netflix debut on June 7, 2024.
Though the release of this Netflix film is almost six months away, the intriguing teaser offers a glimpse of what Linklater has planned for fans.
According to Netflix, the synopsis for the film reads:
“Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a straight-laced professor discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.”
As the comedy- and musically-packed trailer marks its entry into the internet, let's explore 3 things it offers.
Hit Man is Richard Linklater's first action feature since 1998
1. A promising romance between Gary and Maddy
The teaser for Hit Man starts with Maddy Masters, played by Adria Arjona, meeting Gary Johnson, played by Glen Powell, who is eating a pie in a restaurant. Maddy asks Gary if he is enjoying the pie, to which he responds, “All pie is a good pie.” Following the opening scene, Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin, Pie, a 1967 song by Jay & the Techniques, plays in the background.
From the opening shot, it seems Richard Linklater has promisingly penned the chemistry between Maddy and Gary, much like his previous films such as the Before trilogy (1995-2013) and The Hottest State (2006). The Jay & the Techniques song also works as a catalyst for the blooming romance between the lead characters.
2. Glen Powell becomes a fake hitman
In the next scene of the teaser, Gary and Maddy are seen in a shooting range while facing each other. There, Gary is firing a gun, asking Maddy if he is the right guy to eliminate her “problem.”
From this scene, it appears that Gary, who fell in love with Maddy, will do anything for her. And if we analyze the synopsis, Gary is a college professor who will become a fake hitman to prove his love for Maddy.
From the dialogue between Gary and Maddy in the shooting range, it appears that to eliminate Maddy’s “problem,” he will don the persona of a fake hitman. However, there is no clarification regarding the “problem,” that Maddy is facing.
3. Glen Powell dons multiple identities
The ending scene of the teaser showcases characters firing shotguns to test their aims. Following that, Gary is shown as a fake hitman while appearing in different looks. In one scene, he is wearing formal clothes with glasses, and in the next scene, he is seen with long hair and a weird smile on his face.
From the multiple-look scene in the teaser, it seems Gary, as a fake hitman, will don other “mixed-up identities.” The teaser concludes with Gary and Maddy eating pie in the same restaurant that was shown in the opening scene.
Netflix has labeled Hit Man as an action comedy, which means this is Linklater’s first time directing an action feature after The Newton Boys (1998). There is not much of an action show in the trailer, hinting that the makers have kept it under wraps for the movie.
The Richard Linklater-directed Hit Man stars Glen Powell and Adria Arjona in lead roles, with Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Evan Holtzman, Molly Bernard, and Mike Markoff in supporting roles.
