Hit Man on W9: Glen Powell poses as a hitman for the police

A professor who poses as a hit man to catch his clients: that’s the premise of Hit Man. Richard Linklater directs this crime comedy starring Glen Powell, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film is also available on M6+.

In New Orleans, Gary Johnson leads a low-key life, splitting his time between teaching and his technical work for the police. When he has to fill in for a colleague, he discovers that he can adopt the identities his clients need to believe he’s a hitman. His encounter with Madison, played by Adria Arjona, complicates the arrangement: attracted to this client, who wants to escape an abusive husband, he becomes personally involved in her story.

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Linklater and Powell’s screenplay is based on a story by Skip Hollandsworth about the real Gary Johnson, published in Texas Monthly in 2001. The film, however, takes liberties with its source material: the romance is fictional. This shift from police sting to romance explains the blend of comedy, thriller and play with identities that shapes the story.

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