Summary
Richard Linklater’s latest movieHit Manis a great addition to his classic filmography. Best known for his celebrated movies such asDazed and Confused,Boyhood,School of Rock, and theBeforetrilogy,Linklater has been one of the definitive voices in independent cinema since the early 1990s.Boyhoodand theBeforetrilogy, which consists ofBefore Sunrise(1995),Before Sunset(2004), andBefore Midnight(2013), have used real-world time as a filmmaking tool, chronicling aging characters with equally aging cast members.
WhileHit Mandoesn’t employ any of these Linklater temporal tricks, it doesblend several film genres, such as the action thriller, romantic comedy, and film noir.Inspired by thetrue story of undercover hitman Gary Johnson, Hit Man collows a college professor who lives a quiet life until he begins moonlighting as an undercover assassin for his local police department.Hit Manis Glen Powell’s highest rated movie of his careerbased on his Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, slightly outperformingTop Gun: Maverick’simpressive 96%.
Glen Powell’s New Movie Repeats The Formula Of Last Year’s $219M Hit - But Is Now Even Better
Glen Powell’s latest romantic comedy is a major step up from his 2023 classic with Sydney Sweeney, which far surpassed box office expectations.
Merrily We Roll Along Explained: What Richard Linklater’s Planned Movie Is & Why It’ll Take Years
Linklater’s ambitious adaptation will take 20 years to film
Linklater’s film will be presented in reverse chronological order upon completion, keeping true to the original concept of theMerrily We Roll Alongstage musical.
Merrily We Roll Alongwas originally a stage play from 1934 which was adapted into a famous stage musical in 1981.It will become the first feature film adaptation of the celebrated story. Linklater is set to write, direct, and produce the highly anticipated project, although the film will not be completed until sometime in the 2040s. Linklater is employing the same creative approach he took withBoyhoodto filmMerrily We Roll Alongexcept, instead of twelve years of production, it will take a total of 20 years to film.
Linklater’s adaptation ofMerrily We Roll Alongstars Paul Mescal, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldsteinand is being produced by Blumhouse. As if the production of the ambitious project wasn’t already challenging enough, the film will be presented in reverse chronological order upon completion, keeping true to the original concept of theMerrily We Roll Alongstage musical. Linklater based his screenplay off of the upcoming new edition of the stage play written by George Furth, which will be released in October 2024. The story is set to take place between 1957 and 1976.
All 9 Aliases Glen Powell Uses In Hit Man Explained
Richard Linklater’s Hit Man stars Glen Powell as a fake contract killer who employs several aliases throughout the film’s hilarious events.
Hit Man Is The Kind Of Movie Richard Linklater Needs More Of While Filming Merrily We Roll Along
Linklater proves he’s still got an outstanding vision for independent comedies
Linklater is treating each annual installment ofMerrily We Go Alongas a short film, much like his approach withBoyhood.Hit Man, however, proves that he could do a great comedy every couple of years if he wanted towhile working onMerrily We Roll Alongin between.Hit Manis kind of a return to form forLinklater’s best movies.
His last film,Apollo 10 1/2, was very good but was animated and ultimately a bit of a different thing, although he has experimented with animated and rotoscope in the past. Linklater has also had a couple of recent misfires, such asLast Flag FlyingandWhere’d You Go, Bernadette?. The success ofHit Manis a hopeful sign that Linklater will stick to original comedies, in the same vein asSchool of RockandDazed and Confused, moving forward.
Hit Man
Cast
Hit Man centers on a mild-mannered professor involved in police sting operations as a fake hit man. His life spirals into chaos when he unexpectedly falls for a potential client, initiating a series of unforeseen complications and dilemmas.
