Summary

• Hit Man is a new action comedy with a twist, inspired by a true story and reminiscent of a John Cusack movie from 1997.
• Unlike Grosse Pointe Blank, Hit Man adds an intriguing twist where the woman Gary falls for may actually be a killer.
• The potential Maddy twist in Hit Man promises conflict and depth, raising questions about morality and the nature of their relationship.

Glen Powell's much-anticipated action comedy, Hit Man, finds its way onto screens next month, and the Netflix original movie has a lot in common with a John Cusack box office bomb from 27 years ago. Hit Man is inspired by a true story and revolves around a police officer posing as a hitman whose situation becomes complicated when he develops feelings for a woman. The movie's premise is not dissimilar to a certain 1997 John Cusack movie. However, the recent trailer for Hit Man implies the film will have a rather clever twist.

Directed by Richard Linklater from a screenplay co-written by Powell himself, Hit Man also stars Adria Arjona, Retta, and Austin Amelio in leading roles. The movie is scheduled to have a limited theatrical release starting May 24th before being available June 7th on Netflix. While Hit Man marks a new direction for Glen Powell's career, its premise is reminiscent of a mostly forgotten John Cusack movie, albeit with one notable change.

Netflix's Hit Man Movie Has A Similar Premise To John Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank

The Two Films Share A Lot In Common

Hit Man sees Powell playing Gary Johnson, an undercover mole for the police department who moonlights as an assassin in order to catch those who call upon his services. In the movie, Glen Powell adopts several hitman aliases in order to cater to the different clients he intends to arrest. Along the way, Gary meets and falls for a woman named Maddy (Arjona), who enlists his services. Hit Man's premise is similar to that of Grosse Pointe Blank, a rather underrated black comedy from 1997 that stars John Cusack in the lead role.

Like Hit Man, Grosse Pointe Blank revolves around an assassin falling in love, which ultimately ruins the hit. Unlike Hit Man, however, Cusack's character is an actual contract killer rather than a cop posing as one. Grosse Pointe Blank centers on Martin, a professional hitman who returns to his hometown of Grosse Pointe in Detroit to both carry out a kill and attend his high school reunion. He soon rekindles his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Debi (Minnie Driver). Despite garnering positive reviews, Grosse Pointe Blank only managed to make just over $31 million at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers).

Hit Man Adds A Big Twist By Hinting At Maddy Turning Into A Killer

It Certainly Put A Fresh Spin On Things

Though Grosse Pointe Blank and Hit Man share a lot in common, the latter adds an interesting twist that helps it stand out. Essentially, the movie's narrative involves Gary meeting and developing feelings for Maddy after she hires him to kill her husband, with him letting her go because of the complicated nature of the job. Then Maddy's husband's body is found, suggesting she is the killer. The addition of this twist is an ingenious one because it changes Hit Man from a goofy action comedy into something with greater depth.

the Maddy twist in Hit Man ensures the movie won't be short on conflict

Discovering that the woman he has feelings for is a killer, the very thing he pretends to be, will surely have a big impact on Gary and lead him to question whether what he is doing is right. Meanwhile, Maddy, who believes that Gary is an assassin, will undoubtedly think she and him are kindred spirits connected by killing. It's possible that Gary may even feel responsible for turning Maddy into a killer if, indeed, she wasn't one already. Whatever the case, the Maddy twist in Hit Man ensures the movie won't be short on conflict.

This contrasts heavily with Grosse Pointe Blank, where Martin didn't have to worry about Debi or even his target, turning out to be a killer. Though it certainly has its charm, Grosse Pointe Blank is somewhat safe and predictable, offering not much more in the way of conflict beyond Martin choosing whether to carry on killing or to throw it all away for Debi. Hit Man, therefore, improves on Grosse Pointe Blank by delivering a clever twist that adds new dimensions to a similar story.

Source: The Numbers