The portrayal of hitmen in movies has evolved significantly over time. Early cinema often depicted the hit man as a faceless villain, while later films explored his complex, sometimes sympathetic character. Iconic movies like “The Godfather” and “Pulp Fiction” brought the hit man to the forefront, blending ruthlessness with humanizing elements. This evolution reflects changing audience tastes and a deeper exploration of moral ambiguity in storytelling.

Hit Man (Netflix)

Picture this: an offbeat college psychology professor named Gary Johnson stumbles upon an unusual side gig. It turns out he’s a surprisingly good hit man. Armed with a nerdy charm and a penchant for deception, Johnson takes on clients desperate to escape their troubles, but he’s not just any hit man; he actually poses as one in undercover sting operations for the police. As the bullets fly (metaphorically, of course), Johnson finds himself in a romantic relationship with a client. Now, he has to navigate his two real lives and his fake one if he hopes to get to the other side with his sanity and freedom intact.

Netflix’s Hit Man (Mini Review)

Glen Powell is charming as the quirky Johnson, and his co-stars, even the underdeveloped ones (that is to say, all of them), manage to complement him through nearly pure charisma. Because, as delightful as everyone on screen is and as amazing as the real-life story of Gary Johnson might be, Hit Man walks when it could have flown.

More of a demo reel with a smidgeon of rom-com tossed in to showcase Powell’s range than a fully realized narrative, Hit Man coasts on good looks and hormones as male and female viewers alike insert themselves into the just-north-of PG-13, sometimes-erotic fantasy.

Had the filmmakers been less impressed with Powell and more so with Johnson, Hit Man could have been a mega-hit in the theaters. As it stands, relative to Netflix’s original offerings, especially recent Netflix offerings, Hit Man is Lawrence of Arabia. It’s a perfectly suitable date night movie, but otherwise forgettable.

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