Glen Powell in Hit Man (Matt Lankes/Netflix)

Not everyone is an actor, but in a way, we are all performers. At least that is the thesis defended by Hit Man, Richard Linklater’s latest film, which portrays an ordinary man turned into cool assassin. Well, not exactly. Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a college teacher in psychology, works part-time for the New Orleans Police Department assisting cases where an undercover agent pretends to be a hired murderer. Linklater, one of the essential American filmmakers nowadays, almost never makes the same film twice (in his “Before” trilogy, each film is unique). Here he creates a comedy distinguished by a smart sense of humor and a level of eclecticism that most directors couldn’t balance successfully.

When chaotic undercover police Jasper (Austin Amelio) is temporarily dismissed, Gary accepts the task of assuming the role he has observed behind the scenes all this time, despite having no training or preparation as a cop. His background in psychology, combined with a common and easy-to-forget face are enough to become a quick substitute.

If it sounds too much “like a movie” to be credible, curiously the screenplay is based on a real case (with artistic license nonetheless). So, Gary’s work as a make-believe hitman begins. Once Gary would-be clients believe he is a real killer, it seems that he was born for this role, leaving officers Claudette (Retta) and Phil (Sanjay Rao) astonished. They are the cops in charge of monitoring in real time the cameras and microphones planted at the meeting sites with those seeking Gary’s services (usually in diners). Gary discards his glasses or slightly modifies his hairstyle for each assignment, but what sells the hit man fantasy better is his committed and convincing performance. The police’s default script becomes insufficient for his talent, giving rise to brilliant improvisations in which Gary expertly enumerates how to dispense the bodies and the supposed rituals he performs. For a moment this man, whom everyone otherwise considers to be reliable and harmless, looks like a cold and calculating monster. Of course, Gary is not a murderer, but the big surprise is that there is a great actor who has been hiding under the façade of a boring academic. Even his ex-wife mocks him as someone exempt from the passion needed to commit a crime.

Initially, Hit Man focuses on Gary’s undercover work, in which he wears all kinds of costumes and makeup adapted to each circumstance. Gary studies the psyche of his clients to present to them the man of their darkest dreams. However, there’s a detour when he meets Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona). He is starstruck by this beautiful desperate woman about to ruin her life by getting rid of an abusive husband, so Gary convinces her not to pay for his services and simply leave the man who hurts her. His alias, Ronald, likely his best creation, could well be a movie hero, smooth and charming as well as lethal. Consequences for Gary’s life and work soon will come to a head though, especially when he and Maddy begin an ethically questionable secret romance. Disturbingly, Maddy thinks she’s dating a killer and doesn’t care.

All parts are set for misunderstandings and juicy accidents that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Meanwhile, the chemistry between Powell and Arjona is immediately explosive, transforming what started as a character study into a twisted romantic comedy for the ages. Later, the third act is more worthy of a semi-erotic thriller loaded with suspense. The successful convergence of all these various genres merges perfectly in one remarkable scene when Gary takes out a gun to defend his girlfriend in an alley. It’s a funny, exciting, and genuinely a romantic moment that captures what’s special about the whole film.

Hit Man is a lot of things at once, and each one of them is excellent. Linklater fills the screen with sophisticated jokes that does not prevent it from being also an accessible and sexy movie. (Gary’s cats are called ID and Superego, and the way to his home crosses an intersection of streets, Desire and Law.) This is also a star vehicle for Powell at a time when there seems to be no interest in Hollywood to create new and young superstars. The actor, who has been everywhere lately (from Top Gun: Maverick to the romantic comedy Anyone but You) enraptures with endless star power and splendid comedic chops, in part thanks to an original script—Powell is credited as co-writer with Linklater.

Hit Man is one of Linklater’s most accomplished works to date and a certified crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to imagine how this movie would have been a hit either in 1940 (with less sex) or in 1990 (with more sex), but in 2024, you’ll probably see it thanks to Netflix, which acquired it last year after a successful move at prestigious festivals. The film will be widely discussed and loved no matter how it gets seen, but Hit Man belongs to the big screen for the collective laughter and applause it deserves.