"Hitman" was released on Netflix on Friday, June 7, and it featured Glenn Powell and Adria Arjona. This was a comedic movie with an aspect of thriller involved. It has certain elements of a true story because the main character, Gary Johnson, is real.
Synopsis
Gary Johnson was a professor at the University of New Orleans, where he taught psychology. He is an average guy who has some weird elements to him. He secretly works with the New Orleans Police Department while pretending to be a hitman. This employment demands him to meet clients and arrest them for a murder-for-hire felony. Things begin to get complicated when he meets this client, Madison Masters. She is desperate to get away from her abusive husband and orders a hitman.
Highs
The film's highs include Powell's humorous element. His acting was fantastic; he went from being a serious hitman to an innocent nerd in the blink of an eye. The various accents he had to use for his persona were both hilarious and accurate. He played a character who was a loner and focused on his work, but when he met Madison, everything changed. His entire personality as Gary shifted dramatically. That was an excellent shift, and it was well represented in the character growth.
Another high was the plot of the story because it had aspects of different scenes that brought the movie more humorous elements. Being a hitman is known in more mafia films, but this was a comedic fake hitman film which was enjoyable. The setting of the film was typical because his team would arrive undercover in an old junky plumber van. His team was a light part of the film because they added funny elements of jokes towards Gary. His team consisted of Jasper (Austin Amelio), Claudette (Retta), and Phil (Sanjay Rao).
Gary and Jasper's relationship was difficult, which led to the film's theme of Gary having an adversary. This provided drama and tension, keeping the audience on their toes. The number of times their characters collided was funny due to Gary's reactions. Jasper thought Gary was this innocent man who wouldn't hurt a fly, but that's where things became unexpected.
Also, Madison and Gary have ideal chemistry, as seen by the level of tension between the two when they first met. Their characters immediately clicked, cracking humorous jokes. When it came to Madison panicking about committing a hit on her abusive spouse, her character was more innocent than the other clients. Their connection begins innocently, but quickly becomes steamy, and they can't keep their hands away from each other. This added a romance element to the film which kept the whole movie interesting.
Lows
The film's lows are minor, which can be attributed to the background material on Madison's spouse. There should have been a scene or more talk about her husband's aggressive behavior toward her. When he appears in the film, he comes out as abusive, but Madison reacts with less fear. Madison's reactions to things about her husband were not particularly believable.
There were no marks of trauma indicating that she had been abused in her relationship. Instead, she moved quickly and comfortably. This did not aid her character's development and gave the impression that she was simply a wealthy girl. There should have been several instances where she experienced trauma symptoms from her abuse.
Verdict
This movie was amusing and is recommended for those looking for a humorous picture with a romantic twist. Gary's character evolved and grew well. This is intended for a mature audience considering partial nudity and language.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
