Did you know movies can be fun? Or that they’re far better with an excited crowd that propels the movie’s already intoxicating energy? Major Hollywood executives don’t seem to, otherwise we’d get movies like Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” in theaters every other weekend. Unfortunately, the only major distributor willing to put a competitive offer on the table for this sub-$10 million crowd-pleaser was Netflix, meaning a film that has the hallmarks to be a sleeper hit if marketed correctly is in danger of disappearing into the streaming void and passing the culture by completely.
Now, Netflix could give this film a wide theatrical release if they wanted to. I don’t believe anything is keeping them from doing so apart from thinking the exclusivity of a movie being on streaming will somehow be more profitable for them. How much money is Netflix making from subscribers specifically signing up or staying signed up for the service because of “Hit Man”? It’s doubtful this number even clears the $1.1 million the film brought in during its limited theatrical run over the last few weeks, and it sure doesn’t come close to recouping the $20 million spent acquiring the distribution rights (plus whatever minimal output went toward marketing). And yet, Netflix avoids theaters anyway because of a misguided attempt to kill what they see as a competitor rather than an asset.
Ultimately, none of that matters if “Hit Man” isn’t any good, but it is! In fact, it’s great! It’s probably Linklater’s best mainstream project of his career. It’s a classic star-driven, high-concept commercial work that remains fresh today because Hollywood has stopped producing movies like this. It helps when you’re more or less making a high-budget acting reel for one of our brightest new movie stars, Glen Powell. I love Linklater, and his script is funny and complex in the ways his best work always is, but this is Powell’s show. Playing a schlubby college psychology professor who gains self-confidence by trying on various personalities as a fake hitman for the New Orleans police department, Powell is showing off his range as an actor (doubly impressive given that he’s doing this while also playing another character under the personas) and giving a fun commentary on the psychosis required to sell yourself as an actor. Because it’s a comedy, it’s not self-critical, but it does understand the inherent silliness in acting as an artistic pursuit.
The movie’s greatest strength besides Powell is that it is genuinely sexy in a way romantic films aren’t anymore. In a recent interview, Linklater talked about the infantilization of culture and how sex has basically disappeared from movies because everything is aimed at young teenagers. “Hit Man” isn’t a strong reaction to that — it isn’t graphic in a way that tries to make people reckon with how sex in movies makes them uncomfortable — but one gets the sense that Linklater wants to show real human sexuality in a way most movies that are trying to appeal to a wide audience don’t right now. It’s not just about showing two attractive people being intimate with each other, it’s about verbal and physical chemistry between two people creating fiery sexual tension until it boils over into an intense, emotional experience.
I hope people will find “Hit Man” on streaming, but even then, I’m unsure if it will have the same impact at home. Giving your full attention to this movie, seeing it with high-quality image and sound, and feeling the energy in a room of people all excited to discover something old made new again is critical to making a movie like this work. Crowd pleasers need crowds. They need conversation. They need to be objects of cultural fascination, not slop churned out by the content mill. Movies like this will probably never be at the center of popular culture again, but it’s nice to think they could be if given the chance.
