Richard Linklater’s latest directorial effortis a comedic take on a man who disguises himself to pretend that he is a professional killer.Hit Man, starring and co-written byGlen Powell, isbased on the true story of an undercover agent who moonlights as a hitman and puts the people who hire his services behind bars. Things become a little tricky when the protagonist is summoned to another mission, this time by a beautiful damsel in distress that he quickly falls for. Faced with a crossroads, the main character must decide whether to carry on with his duty or listen to his heart.
Afterpremiering at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Linklater is ready to bring his acclaimed romance-meets-action to streaming. Although the film has a compact ensemble, Powell does take on multiple personas, which keeps viewers intrigued at all times. In light of its arrival on Netflix, here is a handy guide towho plays who in what has been deemed as the director’s best work yet.
Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor discovers his 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.
Glen Powell
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson is a part-time professor and a part-time tech whiz for the New Orleans Police Department. When the officer in charge of undercover missions is suspended, Gary replaces him, and soon sees that this new role is his true calling. As he ventures into a world of criminals, he develops a unique ability to identify aspiring murderers from miles away and detain them. His excellence in the job is then threatened by his feelings for a woman who hires him to protect her from her abusive husband.
Glen Powell plays Gary and his many alter egos in the film. The actor has been credited with several projects that came out recently, even leading thebox office hit,Anyone But You. Never getting stuck on one particular genre, Powell has played anything from skillful pilots inTop Gun: MaverickandDevotionto romantic leads in modern rom-coms likeSet It Up. In addition toHit Man, he will soon return to the big screen inTwisters, a sequel toJan de Bont’s 1996 classic.
In aninterview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, Powell shared further insight on his character and how close he is to the real-life Gary Johnson:
Adria Arjona
Madison Masters
Madison Masters (or Maddy) hires Ron (one of Gary’s personas) to kill her husband after she is no longer able to keep up with his abusive behavior. Little does she know that the man she reaches out to for help would sweep her off her feet, even though he isn’t who he seems.
Adria Arjona plays the leading lady inHit Man, which only goes to show how far the actress has come in her career. Starting off in minor roles in films likePacific Rim: Uprisingand6 Underground,Arjona later became more well-known for her TV parts in hit shows,such asTrue DetectiveandAndor.
In an interview withHarpar’s Bazaar,the actress spoke more about how her character seeks reinvention after being a victim of domestic violence:
I think that the level of reinvention really comes from Madison coming from such a repressed relationship and such a toxic place, where she lost herself completely. She’s at stage zero when we meet her. She’s so desperate that she’s about to kill her husband to have some sort of freedom, and she’s so blinded to any other perspective; and Ron is the one that comes in: “Hey, there’s other stuff you may do.” So once she goes about [restarting her life], then she has to reinvent herself.It’s like after a breakup: “Wait, I was just with this person for so long. Who am I now without them?” And that’s where we meet Madison. I really wanted her to blossom out of that [abusive relationship] and have what we like to call a real good glow-up, and have fun and seduce this man.
Austin Amelio
Jasper was the undercover cop who got suspended, and as a result, opened the doors for Gary to take on his post at the police department. As the protagonist shows that he is even more capable of detaining criminals than Jasper ever was, the latter gets extremely bitter, adopting an antagonistic presence in the film.
Austin Amelioplays Jasper, andHit Manmarks yet another collaboration between him, Powell, and Linklater. The trio previouslyworked together onEverybody Wants Some!!. Yet, Amelio’s breakout role came through much before that, when he played Dwight inThe Walking Dead. Despite the character having a recurring presence in the series, he later became one of the leads in the zombie spin-off,Fear the Walking Dead.
Like Gary, Claudette works for the New Orleans Police Department and is somewhat responsible for the protagonist landing the job that Jasper was suspended from. The character is an enigma of sorts, with her motivations in the workplace never being entirely clear, and her thoughts on Gary’s tactics to seek justice are always kept to herself. As a result, viewers feel a bit unsure of where her loyalty lies.
Rettaplays Claudette in the Netflix original, a departure from roles she’s had in the past. From starting as a stand-up comedian to thenstarring inParks and RecreationandGood Girls, the actress has delivered humorous performances so far but never got the chance to portray an enigmatic character. InHit Man,she is finally able to be suspenseful and keep audiences intrigued by Claudette’s lack of transparency.
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Evan Holtzman
Ray Masters
Ray Masters is Maddy’s abusive husband, whose cruelty leads his wife to hire someone to kill him. As Maddy becomes closer to Ron and falls for him, Ray tries to take matters into his own hands and find out more about his wife’s new crush. Although it is only by watching the movie that viewers finally figure out when Gary’s fake killer identity will be uncovered, Ray will likely be even more aggressive once he learns the truth about Maddy’s sudden proximity to one of the protagonist’s alter egos.
Evan Holtzmanplays the violent character in this film and, much like Austin Amelio, the actor already worked with Powell prior to this film in 2016’sHidden Figures. He has since taken on recurring roles in TV shows likeMessiahandS.W.A.T.
Molly Bernard
Alisha is Gary’s ex-wife, who he still remains in contact with. It is due to her pushing him to find someone new and do more exciting things with his life that he accepts the offer to become an undercover agent and embrace his feelings for Maddy.
Molly Bernardis Alisha in the film and, prior to this supporting role, she was one of the main stars of the drama seriesYounger,alongsideHilary DuffandSutton Foster. Aside from her work on the show, she’s had the opportunity to make guest appearances inChicago MedandTransparent.
