Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
A mild-mannered professor moonlighting as a fake hit man in police stings ignites a chain reaction of trouble when he falls for a potential client.
Hit Man is a breezy, charming screwball noir-romcom that leans heavily on Glen Powell's charismatic performance and a fun central conceit. Powell is genuinely excellent, selling multiple personas with ease alongside Adria Arjona, who matches his energy. The premise—a mild professor inhabiting criminal alter egos—is engaging and the film has a playful, confident tone. However, the plot loses steam in its third act, and the ending feels abrupt and oddly unsatisfying, undermining the buildup. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable for the genre. Novelty is decent—it blends screwball comedy with crime thriller in a distinctive way, though not wholly unprecedented.