Venice Film Festival 2023 reviews: Richard Linklater’s ‘Hit Man’ proves the sleeper of the fest, ‘a hidden gem’ that’s ‘studded with delicious moments’
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Not a lot was expected of Richard Linklater’s 23rd film, “Hit Man,” before it premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, September 5. For one, it was coming at the end of a mini trend of films studying contract killers (or those who impersonate them). First came David Fincher’s “The Killer.” There was also Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance,” which has a murder-for-hire as a central plotline. “Hit Man” came relatively late to the game, but in the process may have snatched the thunder out from under the other two in terms of audience response and early critical buzz that’s heaping praise on the acclaimed director of “Boyhood,” “School of Rock,” “Apollo 10 1/2,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight.”
The indie action comedy “Hit Man” stars Glen Powell, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater. The story is very loosely based on a 2001 Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth about Gary Johnson, a real-life mild-mannered college professor who moonlit as an undercover police informant – posing as a hit man to catch and arrest people trying to hire one. Plenty of liberties and embellishment are said to have been taken with the real story. For instance, in reality it took place in Houston. In “Hit Man,” it’s New Orleans. But as Pete Hammond stresses in Deadline, “Certain details in the screenplay are made up, and those are the (ones) that help make this a hilarious winner, as well as perhaps Linklater’s most commercial movie since ‘School of Rock’.”
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Critics were also unanimous in singling out Powell for what’s being called “a star-cementing turn” (he also had a role in “Top Gun: Maverick” among other films) that makes him a very outside Oscar acting contender, though in truth “Hit Man’s” best shot is likely for its clever script. The work of Powell’s co-star and love interest Adria Arjona (“Morbius”) was also cited. Based on a dozen reviews as of this writing, it rates 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hammond’ wrote in his review, “Linklater knows just exactly how to keep all the balls in the air of this complex story of a hit man who wasn’t a real hit man who just could become a hit man all in the name of love. Billy Wilder would have loved it because it is bordering on ‘Double Indemnity’ territory. Powell is the perfect fit for this leading role, and clearly he knew it ass he also writes and produces with Linklater on it. He makes all the disguises and changing circumstances seem effortless to navigate.”
Richard Lawson writes in Vanity Fair, “A sorta-true story about an average guy who finds himself caught in a web of crime and deception, ‘Hit Man’ is a cute and clever (sometimes overbearingly so) showcase for Powell’s magnetic charm.” Continuing the rave for Powell’s work was Kevin Maher in The Times of London, who opined, “The movie is buoyed by a go-for-broke turn from Powell. There are immaculate one-liners throughout, delivered with such aplomb that, in the last 20 minutes, the Venice audience was consistently erupting into applause as each zinger landed.”
Owen Gleiberman also praises Powell in Variety, noting that he “gives a performance that’s an ongoing sleight-of-hand trick. Tall and slim, with a sweep of honey-brown hair, Powell has an offbeat leading-man vibe; he looks like Guy Pearce flecked with Ryan Gosling, with a slightly goofy grin that radiates the purest sincerity…’Hit Man’ is studded with delicious moments.”
All of the early reviews for the film out of Venice were infused with the message that no one was expecting “Hit Men” to be anything special, even from a respected veteran writer-director like Linklater, making it the sleeper if the festival. This was emphasized by Luke Hearfield in AwardsWatch, who agreed, “Tightly written, finely-tuned tonally and paced with a spring in its step, ‘Hit Man’ is not only this year’s hidden gem at Venice; it is also one of the best films of 2023.”
Phil de Semlyen of Time Out called “Hit Men” “Linklater’s best movie since ‘Boyhood'” and “stands alongside ‘School of Rock’ for big laughs and good vibes – albeit with a darker streak that slowly kicks in…It reminded me a little of ‘Office Space’ – and there’s no higher praise than that.”
Linklater is a five-time Oscar nominee, with three of them coming in 2015 for his masterwork “Boyhood” (he was cited for original screenplay and directing as as well as producer of the Best Picture nominee). His adapted screenplays for “Before Midnight” (2014) and “Before Sunset” (2005) were also nominated.
“Hit Man” next has its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 before playing the New York Film Festival on October 3. As of this writing, it has no distribution deal or streaming window.
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