Officially Gary Johnson (Glenn Powell) is a philosophy professor, but in his spare time, he also goes by the names Mike Caine, Jody Eagle, and Chris Buck, known as the greatest professional killer in New Orleans. This is the premise of The Hitman, a film that was well-received in theaters and is now on Amazon Prime Video.

Written by director Richard Linklater, with a script by him and actor Glenn Powell, the film deals with a simple and fun concept that there are no hitmen for hire, but still, people who are predisposed to kill believe wholeheartedly in the criminal service and get involved in big trouble. Gary is nothing more than a fake killer who discovers he is a good liar, investing in disguises to help the police arrest potential murderers.

The idea for this light and entertaining story came from the mind of journalist and writer Skip Hollandsworth, who wrote a short story in 2001 called Hitman, published in Texas Monthly magazine.

Described as “the city’s leading expert on conflict resolution,” Gary is hired “to shoot, stab, cut, poison, or suffocate his enemies, romantic rivals, or former loved ones.” “To his clients, he’s like something out of a movie: the lone vigilante, the mysterious gunman for hire. No matter what they ask him to do, he just shrugs it off and says he can handle it,” he describes.

If you don’t want to think too much, then The Hitman might be a good option because it has elements of surprise. Gary ends up getting involved with a client, Madison (Adria Arjona), a housewife who claims to be abused and seeks his services to eliminate her husband, and everything changes from there. Unexpectedly.

Glenn Powell has been struggling to establish himself as a reference in Hollywood, but even with potential as an actor and screenwriter, he still lacks something, you know? He transforms himself into different types of killers and it would be funnier to see the reason for each disguise, something that is not explored. What starts as a comedy, turns into romance and even suspense, to a completely strange and even unethical conclusion. Which makes more sense when you know more about what goes on behind the scenes.

Richard Linklater, respected for the Before Sunrise trilogy and the excellent Boyhood, has been involved with Hollandsworth’s articles and stories for years. The writer has articles that cover a wide range of topics, including crime, culture, and historical events, and one of his most famous works is the article Midnight in the Garden of East Texas, a true crime story that was the basis for the film Bernie (2011), starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.

In the article Midnight in the Garden of East Texas, Hollandsworth tells the true story of Bernie Tiede, a small-town Texas undertaker who befriends a wealthy widow and ends up being convicted of her murder. The article is known for its engaging and detailed style, which captures the complexity of the characters and the situation, but also for having supported the killer and destroyed the victim’s reputation. Linklater was so involved that he testified on behalf of the criminal in one of the court appeals. Thus, when I saw the strange thesis and even more so conclusion of The Hitman, this tortuous influence that is part of Linklater’s thinking comes to mind.

In the end, The Hitman is not a great film, but it is strangely entertaining, even with the lukewarm charisma of its star and a weak script. There is potential to be developed, but it seems to be on the right track. Just don’t have high expectations.

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