Summary
Richard Linklater’sHit Manis rated as Glen Powell’s greatest movie, slightly besting the blockbuster smash that made him a breakout Hollywood star,Top Gun: Maverick. Already being considered one of thebest movies of Richard Linklater’sextensive career as a director and screenwriter as well,Hit Manblends several genres to create a well-balanced mixof screwball/romantic comedy, action-inspired thriller, and classic film noir.Hit Manis full of interesting twists and cleverly toys with the concept of identity through Powell’s dual portrayals of Ron and Gary while still effectively carrying some familiar tropes of beloved action comedies.
Hit Manfeatures Powell in his most versatile role yetas a loner college professor who moonlights as a fake assassin for his local police department. The highly in-demand actor recently starred in the popular romantic comedyAnyone But YoualongsideEuphoriaactress Sydney Sweeney and will star in what is expected to be one of the biggest blockbusters of summer 2024,Twisters.Hit Man’scastis also led by Adria Arjona who plays Madison, the unexpected love interest of Powell’s Gary Johnson. The Linklater film is based on thereal-life Gary Johnson, an undercover cop who presented himself as a contract killer.
Hit Man: Freud’s Psychological Theory Of The Id, Ego & Superego Explained
The Freudian concept of id, ego, & superego as the main provinces of the human psyche act as a key theme for Gary/Ron in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man.
Hit Man’s 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score Beats Top Gun 2’s 96% For Glen Powell
Maverick still outranks Hit Man in terms of audience score
Hit Man’s97% critic score makes it the most critically acclaimed movie of his career, just barely beatingTop Gun: Maverick’simpressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. While the ratings of the two films are virtually identical on Rotten Tomatoes,Metacritic also hasHit Manreceiving more overall praise from critics, earning a score of 83 againstTop Gun: Maverick’sMetascore of 78.Top Gun: Maverickdoes beatHit Manin terms of audience score, however, earning a near-perfect 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes compared toHit Man’s93%, which to some is a more impressive feat.
97%
99%
78
96%
93%
83
There are many different ways to interpret these scores as well as many external factors that go into the overall impact of each Powell film. First and foremost,the cultural and industry impact ofTop Gun: Maverickcannot be understatedas the first blockbuster to attract massive audiences to theaters following the recent global pandemic. Not to mention the remarkable effort that leading man Tom Cruise put into the film, literally flying fighter jets to achieve as realistic of a product as possible.Top Gun 2is also a long-awaited legacy sequel that was finally released 36 years after the celebrated original. All these points add toTop Gun: Maverick’sfavor.
All 10 Hitman & Assassin Movies Referenced In Glen Powell’s Hit Man
Glen Powell and Richard Linklater’s latest comedy movie Hit Man shows several clips of other classic hitman movies and television series.
Why Hit Man’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Better Than Top Gun 2
Top Gun: Maverick has twice as many reviews as Hit Man, many of them with higher ratings
OfTop Gun: Maverick’sstaggering 477 critic reviews, the film received higher individual scores from top critics, receiving several perfect 5 out of 5 and 4 out of 4 ratings.
It’s important to remember that Rotten Tomatoes is a review aggregator, which means that its score represents the percentage of critics who give it a positive rating of 3 out of 5 stars or better. This means that 97% ofHit Man’scritics gave the film a review of 3 out of 5 or better and the same metrics apply toTop: Gun Maverickand every other film rating on the site. This is not to say that either film is considered to be 96/100 or 97/100, which is how Metascore arrives at its ratings. Technically,any movie can get any number of 3/5 stars or better and get a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoesas long as they have no overtly negative reviews.
In the case ofHit Man, which is Certified Fresh based on 222 critic reviews, many of its reviews from top critics are in the 3 or 4 out of 5-star range, with hardly any of them going up to a perfect 5 out of 5. This can be confusing because percentage-wise, 5/5 = 100% while 3/5 = 60%, and yetHit Manhas an elite rating of 97% overall. It also doesn’t help that some critics review the film out of 4 stars while others are based on a scale of 5. OfTop Gun: Maverick’sstaggering 477 critic reviews, the film received higher individual scores from top critics, receiving several perfect 5 out of 5 and 4 out of 4 ratings.This more accurately reflects its 96% Rotten Tomatoes score.
10 Best Movies Like Hit Man
Richard Linklater’s Hit Man combines several different film genres inclduing romantic comedy and action thrillers. Here are 10 films to watch next.
Which Glen Powell Movie Is Really Better: Top Gun 2 Or Hit Man
PittingHit ManagainstTop Gun: Maverickis comparing apples and oranges
As a pioneer in independent cinema, any new Linklater film is something to celebrate, especially after the recent misfires of hisWhere’d You Go, Bernadette(2019) andLast Flag Flying(2017). Ultimately, whileHit Manis a fun and original watch that subverts traditional action-comedies and hitman movie tropes, it’s difficult to argue that it will be remembered as dearly asTop Gun: Maverick, which was a worldwide phenomenon and remains the 12th highest-grossing movie ever made. Despite Powell starring in both films, sizing upHit ManagainstTop Gun: Maverickis comparing apples and oranges, with the latter being one of the best action movies of all time and the former essentially parodying action comedies altogether.
Hit Man Is Exactly What We Need While Waiting For This Upcoming Movie That Won’t Release Until The 2040s
Hit Man is a great indication for Linklater’s future in the modern comedy genre as he continues to film an ambitious decade-spanning musical.
Hit Man
Cast
Hit Man centers on a mild-mannered professor involved in police sting operations as a fake hit man. His life spirals into chaos when he unexpectedly falls for a potential client, initiating a series of unforeseen complications and dilemmas.
