Hit Man (15)

Richard Linklater’s hugely entertaining action

comedy.

This is the perfect antidote to the endless slew of

unfunny, cash-grab comedies of late. Based on Skip

Hollandsworth’s 2001 Texas Monthly magazine

article, Hit Man tells the story of Gary Johnson, a

college professor in New Orleans who lives a quiet

life with his cats. That is until his part-time job

for the police department puts him undercover

as a “Hit Man” recording covert sting operations.

When brought in on another operation, Gary

meets Madison (Adria Arjona), and after an instant

connection, Gary’s life is turned upside down as he

must deal with the consequences of his job and his

love life.

In fine form as always, Linklater masterfully blends

laugh-out-loud moments with gripping tension.

There’s a little bit of Mr. and Mrs. Smith thing going

on, only this is a lot funnier and smarter about

exploring those who hide behind masks. Glen

Powell’s brilliant performance as Gary is multifaceted,

complemented by the sizzling chemistry between

him and Arjona’s Maddy. This is a dead cert as one

of the year’s funniest and most enjoyable films. An

effortless home run.