Hit Man is a sharp, funny crime-romance that turns an unusual real-world police sting into a showcase for Glen Powell’s playful, shape-shifting performance. It is not a straight action film or a faithful true-crime biography: its appeal lies in the mix of invented identities, dangerous choices and an increasingly complicated relationship.
What is Hit Man about?
Directed by Richard Linklater and co-written by Linklater and star Glen Powell, Hit Man follows Gary Johnson (Powell), a mild-mannered professor who moonlights as a fake contract killer for police sting operations. He adopts different hit-man personas to draw out people trying to arrange a murder. When he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a client seeking to escape an abusive marriage, the carefully staged performance begins to spill into real life.
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Hit Man (Blu-ray) | $16.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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The premise gives Powell room to play a man who is playing several other men. He changes his posture, voice and manner from one invented persona to the next, making the identity game a source of comedy as well as suspense. The film also stars Austin Amelio, Retta and Molly Bernard. Netflix says it was filmed on location in New Orleans, which is also the story’s setting.
Is Hit Man based on a true story?
Yes—but only in the sense that its central setup was inspired by a real person and a real kind of police work. The film draws on Gary Johnson, who worked with Houston police posing as a fake contract killer to help catch people seeking to arrange murder-for-hire. Journalist Skip Hollandsworth’s Texas Monthly article about Johnson inspired the project; Netflix and TIME’s account of the real story describe the connection.
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#1 Best Overall
The movie is a loose adaptation, not a biographical retelling. Madison and the romance between her and Gary are inventions, as are major plot turns. The real Johnson died in 2022. As Powell put it in Netflix’s feature on the film’s real-life inspiration, “The fantasy of a hit man occupies a place in our brain because it feels like a simple solution to life’s complicated problems.” The film uses that fantasy as a doorway into a story about identity and desire, not as a claim to recreate Johnson’s life.
Why it is more than a crime caper
Hit Man moves between comedy, romance, crime and thriller, with a darker edge underneath its comic performances. It is interested in how much of a person is an act—and what happens when someone starts believing in the role. The police-sting premise supplies risk and momentum, but the relationship is the emotional center. Linklater described it plainly to Netflix: “Ultimately, it’s a relationship movie.”
Rank #2
That balance is the reason to recommend it, and also the main expectation to set. Viewers looking for an action-heavy hit-man movie may find that the romance and character play take precedence over a steady stream of violence or elaborate plotting. Those who enjoy a nimble romantic comedy with crime-thriller complications get a more distinctive combination.
How critics responded
Reception was strongly positive in the review-aggregator snapshots checked on October 7, 2026. Rotten Tomatoes listed a 95% Tomatometer from 303 critic reviews and an 89% Popcornmeter from more than 50 verified ratings. Its critics’ consensus calls the film “A deceptively dark thriller that’s also loaded with laughs.” Metacritic listed an 82 Metascore based on 55 critic reviews; that weighted score is not an approval percentage. Scores and review counts can change.
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Rank #3
- Hit Man (2023) ( A Killer Romance )
- Hit Man (2023)
- A Killer Romance
Not every response was unqualified. In an Associated Press streaming roundup, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a glossy, easy-to-digest Powell showcase,” while noting reservations about some story choices and logic. That is a useful counterpoint: the film’s charm and Powell’s performance are central to its appeal, even if every turn does not persuade every viewer.
Where can you watch Hit Man?
For viewers in the United States, JustWatch listed Hit Man for streaming on Netflix when it checked 374 services on October 6, 2026. The same dated listing showed an Amazon DVD option at $9.60 and a Blu-ray option at $16.49. Streaming availability, disc editions and prices can change, and availability outside the US may differ, so check the current listing before choosing a format.
Rank #4
The film had a limited theatrical release on May 24, 2024, followed by streaming on June 7, 2024, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix announced its rights acquisition on September 18, 2023; its announcement described the film as a comedy about identity inspired by a true story. Rotten Tomatoes lists an R rating and a runtime of 1 hour 53 minutes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should watch it?
Choose Hit Man if you want a clever, adult crowd-pleaser built around a high-concept premise, a lead actor having fun with multiple personas and a romance that complicates the crime plot. Go in expecting substantial fictional liberties rather than a documentary-style account of Gary Johnson’s work. It is one of Netflix’s best films of 2024 as an editorial pick—not a claim that it will suit every viewer—and its blend of comic invention and romantic risk makes the case.
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