Movie: Hit Man (2023) Caution Spoiler Alert

 Hit Man

Came out; 2023

Time; 1 hr. 55 Min

Watched: Netflix

Rated: R for language throughout, sexual content and some violence

IMDB Rating; 7/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring.

Glen Powell as Gary Johnson

Adria Arjona as Madison Figeroa Masters

Austin Amelio as Jasper

Retta as Claudette

Sanjay Rao as Phil

Story Line.

Gary Johnson is the most sought-after professional killer in New Orleans. To his clients, he is like something out of a movie: the mysterious gun for hire. But if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or an abusive boss, you'd better watch out, he works for the cops. When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband, he finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with becoming a criminal

Thoughts:

This movie was pretty good, it was a little slow moving without much action. I wanted to know what happened with the investigation into the ex-husband and Jasper's death.

This said it was based on a true story, which they always take liberties in that so it's hard to tell what's true and what's not.

The acting was good, and the story line was fun, I love Rhetta, she is a fun actress to watch.

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

Gary Johnson is a professor of psychology and philosophy at the University of New Orleans, while also working undercover with the New Orleans Police Department to assist in undercover sting operations. When Jasper, a fellow cop who portrays fake hitman to solicit murder-for-hire confessions and payments from "customers," is suspended, Gary is unwillingly ushered into the role. Gary quickly finds himself to be a natural in garnering solicitations, going so far as to research suspects in advance and tailor a unique persona for each one.

Gary adopts the persona of a man named "Ron" to garner a solicitation from a discontent married woman named Madison, who is trying to have her controlling husband killed. While conversing with her, Gary quickly becomes both sympathetic and attracted to Madison; when Madison attempts to pay "Ron", Gary refuses the money and suggests that Madison use that money to restart her life, much to the disappointment of Gary's coworkers.

Gary begins a relationship with Madison but maintains his "Ron" persona with her. Madison reveals she owns a gun, and Gary shows her how to use it and instructs her to shoot someone in the heart should she need to kill. One night shortly after clubbing, Gary and Madison have a heated encounter with Ray, Madison's ex-husband, which ends with Gary pulling a gun to back Ray off. Later that night, while outside at a restaurant, Gary and Madison encounter Jasper, who is suspicious of the two being together.

Furious with Madison, Ray attempts to have her killed, unknowingly contacting Gary. Unable to research his suspect, Gary walks into the encounter blind, and improvises having their conversation with backs to each other. However, he reveals himself to Ray at the end of their conversation; Ray rushes out and proclaims that he will kill her himself. Gary attempts to move Madison out of her house out of fear, but Madison doesn't believe Ray would do it

Gary is later called into work to discuss Ray's murder, much to Gary's shock; after hearing that he was shot in the heart with bullets belonging to a gun like Madison's, Gary deduces it was her, while his coworkers believe it was either her or a botched drug deal. Gary meets with Madison to discuss Ray's murder, to which she admits to; this prompts Gary to reveal to Madison that "Ron" and the hitman persona were made up, and that Gary was worried she would prefer the "Ron" to Gary.

After being kicked out by Madison, Gary returns to the police, who reveal their evidence on Madison is building after discovering Ray increased his life policy before he died. Jasper suggests that Gary tries to solicit a confession out of her using the "Ron" persona, to which he agrees. Gary arrives at her house and pretends to interrogate Madison while giving her acting cues typed in on his phone. The two convince the police to leave Madison alone, but Jasper camps out and waits for Gary to return. Jealous that Gary took his job, Jasper demands Madison's newly inherited money from the life policy. However, he quickly begins to pass out from poison given by Madison, while Gary suffocates him with a plastic bag. After planting the body to appear as a suicide, the movie skips several years ahead to depict Gary and Madison's new life as married and with kids.

As the credits roll, an intertitle card dedicates the film to the real Gary Johnson, praising his accomplishments as a war veteran, college professor and being responsible for 70 undercover arrests, ending with a note that he never murdered anyone (they made that part up).