Hit Man Director, Cast, Plot, Where To Stream It, And More Info

Every year, the fall film festival season (try saying that five times fast) brings all sorts of discussion points to those who of us who are way too plugged into such things, from Academy Awards buzz for certain performances and movies to potentially controversial subject matter on the horizon (#neverforget the weeks and weeks of online discourse and rampant speculation this phenomenon caused for a movie like, say, 2019's "Joker") and everything in between. But, ideally, these sorts of early screenings also help put certain kinds of movies on the radar for a wider range of audiences, shining a spotlight on titles that many might not have even heard of before. And, in some cases, a wave of overwhelmingly positive critic reactions and reviews can play a big role in helping them land distribution partners at a pretty penny.

Such appears to be the case with "Hit Man," the latest movie by acclaimed filmmaker Richard Linklater. Upon debuting at this year's Venice Film Festival and swiftly building up even more hype at the Toronto International Film Festival, the thriller has all the makings of becoming the next big hit. This is clearly something that Netflix seemed to take notice of, as Variety recently reported the news that the streamer has swooped in and purchased the distribution rights for a whopping $20 million. Whether you've been looking forward to this project for a while now or this is the first you're hearing about it, consider this your primer on everything you need to know about "Hit Man."

"Hit Man" officially held its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this September, and news of the film getting picked up by Netflix means that fans can expect a reliable and wide-ranging platform to a very broad audience. However, no release date has yet been set at the time of publishing. The announcement may come as somewhat of a disappointment to those putting their hopes in a worldwide theatrical release for a film that, by many accounts, plays extraordinarily well with a crowd in a packed house of eager audience members. 

With that said, the Variety report also notes that, in a continuation of a trend for the major streaming service, "the film is expected to play in theaters before landing on the streamer." While Netflix has historically refrained from supporting the more traditional theatrical model, allowing films to play in theaters for a limited amount of time before their streaming premiere has become more and more of a go-to plan for movies with a strong possibility of making some sort of awards run, which rely on a theatrical release to meet qualification requirements. Stay tuned to /Film for more information on when the release date is made official.

As the title implies, "Hit Man" follows a professional killer ... but with a twist. Actually a part-time teacher and nerdy tech guy who also works undercover for the cops as a contract killer, Gary Johnson's varying allegiances and identities threaten to tear his world apart when he comes across a particularly difficult case. Confronted by the plight of Maddy Masters, a desperate woman under the thumb of an abusive man who becomes more and more of a love interest, Gary finds himself drawn into a seductive and dangerous world that he never could've anticipated. As /Film previously reported, the script is actually loosely based on a true story as set down in a 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article. The official synopsis of the noir action-comedy is as follows:

When the most sought-after, albeit least trustworthy, hitman in Houston breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to get away from an abusive boyfriend, he finds himself living the life of one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with becoming a criminal himself.

"Hit Man" stars leading man Glen Powell as the main protagonist Gary Johnson. The actor has seen his star rise rapidly in recent years, having most recently stole scenes in the Tom Cruise-starring "Top Gun: Maverick." He's also appeared in the similarly pilot-themed WWII film "Devotion," starred in multiple other Linklater films between "Apollo 10 1/2" and "Everybody Wants Some!!," portrayed world-famous astronaut John Glenn in the 2016 drama "Hidden Figures," and even added action cred to his name with a role in "The Expendables 3" as part of the younger team recruited by Sylvester Stallone's Barney Ross. (Sharp-eyed viewers will have also seen Powell in a blink-and-miss-it appearance as a stock market trader in "The Dark Knight Rises," who meets a nasty fate at the hands of Tom Hardy's Bane.)

Powell's joined by co-star Adria Arjona as Maddy Masters, who has become an increasingly busy talent in the last several years. She impressed throughout her most recent turn in "Andor" as Bix Caleen, having also starred in last year's "Irma Vep" HBO miniseries alongside Alicia Vikander, the disastrous "Morbius," two Netflix action-thrillers in "6 Underground" and "Triple Frontier," and 2018's "Pacific Rim: Uprising." The cast of "Hit Man" also includes Austin Amelio ("Fear the Walking Dead," "Song to Song," "Everybody Wants Some!!") and Retta ("Good Girls," "Parks and Recreation").

Film aficionados may have heard the name of Richard Linklater a time or two before. Of course, the talented and widely respected filmmaker is well-known for timeless efforts such as "Dazed and Confused," the "Before" trilogy comprised of "Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset," and "Before Midnight," "School of Rock," "Boyhood," and many more. The director has worked with lead actor Glen Powell several times before, with "Hit Man" marking their fourth total collaboration together. And with the news that Netflix will distribute his latest project, this will be the second film in a row that Linklater has partnered up with the major streaming service for following last year's underrated "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood."