Summary
There are several onscreen references to other classic hitman and assassin movies in Richard Linklater’sHit Man. The new Glen Powell film features theTop Gun: Maverickbreakout star in his most versatile role yet, playing a loner college professor who moonlights as an assassin for his local police department.Hit Manalso became Powell’s highest rated movieof his acting career afterearning a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly getting the edge over the massively successful box office hitTop Gun: Maverick, which earned a score of 96%. Since releasing on Netflix on August 06, 2025, the film has become one of the most popular titles on the streaming platform.
Hit Manis full of interesting twists and cleverly toys with the concept of identity through Powell’s dual portrayals of Ron and Gary, but still effectively carries some familiar tropes of beloved action comedies.Hit Man’scastis also led by Adria Arjona who plays Madison, the unexpected love interest of Powell’s Gary Johnson. Madison believes that Gary is actually Ron, a stylish, confident, and very dangerous trained assassin. Already being considered one of thebest movies of Richard Linklater’sextensive career as a director and screenwriter,Hit Manblends several genres to create a well-balancedmix of screwball/romantic comedy, action-inspired thriller, and classic film noir.
At around the 18-minute mark inHit Manduring a voiceover monologue, several clips from classic hitman movies are displayed to help make one of Gary’s main points in the movie. He believes that the prominence and popularity of hitman movies, television shows, and characters, combined with the longterm effects of a consumerist society in which anything can be purchased for the right price, hasinspired everyday people to believe they can go out and buy a local hitman like any other commodity. Linklater uses several actual scenes from hitman/assassin movie classics inHit Manto make this concept more clear.
10This Gun For Hire
1942
The first classic hitman movie referenced inHit Manis celebrated film noir from 1942.This Gun For Hirestars Alan Ladd as Philip Raven as a hired hand who gets paid to kill a blakmailer. It also features a leading performance from Veronica Lake, the acclaimed actress fromSullivan’s Travels(1941) andThe Blue Dahlia(1946).This Gun For Hirewas directed by Frank Tuttleand is based on the 1936 novelA Gun For Salewritten by Graham Greene. It’s one of the premiere examples of film noir movies starring a hitman with a classic femme fatale female lead. It turned Ladd into a movie star, leading to his appearances in other classic films such asShane(1953) and13th West Street(1962).
9The Mechanic
1972
A few brief clips from the 1972 hitman classicThe Mechanicare featured inHit Man, particularly with the envelope full of cash and the protagonist Arthur Bishop killing someone next to a chicken delivery van.The Mechanicstars legendary tough man Charles Bronson in one of his most iconic roles, best known for his performances in films such asThe Magnificent Seven(1960),The Great Escape(1963), andOnce Upon a Time in the West(1968).The Mechanicfollows Arthur Bishop, an aging hitman who befriends and mentors a hitman in training, played by Jan-Michael Vincent, who is the son of one of Arthur’s targets, The film deals with themes of murder and deceit, similar toHit Man.
8Branded to Kill
1967
Hit Manalso briefly pays homage toBranded to Kill, another classic yet eccentric hitman movie from 1967 that starts with a familiar premise.Branded to Killfollows a hitman named Gorô who finds himself in hot water with his organization of assassins after a botched assignment. The highly stylistic thriller is not the most conventional hitman movie, but it clearly crossed Linklater’s radar during his development process forHit Man. WhileBranded to Killis can be seen as somewhat experimental and obscure, considering that its protagonist is obsessed with the smell of rice, it may have inspired Linklater to think outside of the box and break the conventions of traditional hitman movie tropes inHit Man.
7A Colt Is My Passport
Interestingly,A Colt Is My Passportis another obscure Japanese action noir thriller about a hitman from 1967 that is visually referenced in Linklater’sHit Man.A Colt Is My Passportfollows a hitman, playe by Joe Shishido, who is hired to kill a yakuza mob boss and is hunted by rival gangs after he completes his mission. The rival gangs come together after the son of the deceased reaches out to the other gang leader to avenge the death of his father.A Colt Is My Passportfeatures beautifully framed cinematography along with a classic western-inspired soundtrack and features heavy influences from the French New Wave cinematic movement. It’s no surprise that a film historian like Linklater would come acrossA Colt Is My Passport.
6The Hired Killer
1966
Clips from the classic hitman thrillerThe Hired Killerare seen in Linklater’sHit Man. The 1966 film stars Robert Webber as retiring hitman Clint Harris who plans to hang up his hat and his rifle after one final job. His target is a former employee who has become an informant for the police. The film also stars Franco Nero, the celebrated star ofDjango(1966). While it’s not widely considered by viewers and critics alike as being one of the strongest movies centered on a hitman, Linklater must have found some reverence for the project to include it in his film.The Hired Killerwas written and directed by Italian filmmaker Francesco Prosperi.
5Mr Inbetween
2018 - 2021
Mr Inbetweenis one of the more recent hitman projects and an example of an assassin television series that was seen in theHit Manmontage.Mr Inbetweenran for 26 episodes across three seasons, all of which are available to stream on Hulu. The FX original series is highly rated, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows Ray Shoesmith, a modern lone wolf criminal for hire. Scott Ryan stars as the protagonist and created the series, which also stars Justin Rosniak and Damon Herriman. The underrated series is celebrated for its superb acting by its ensemble cast. Including a clip fromMr Inbetweenalong with the previously mentioned classics helps drive Gary’s point home that hitmans have been a timeless character in film and television.
The Good, the Bad, and the Uglyis widely celebrated as one of the best western films ever made. Linklater included a scene from the classic film during which Lee Van Cleef’s character covertly murders another character by shooting him with a revolver hidden under the table. Directed by legendary western filmmaker Sergio Leone in 1966,The Good, the Bad, and the Uglyfollows an ex-bounty hunter, a greedy man, and a cold-blooded killer who must rely on each other to find a fortune full of gold. The film depicts the use of violence in order to get ahead in American society, even dating back to some of the earliest days of the United States. The film helped to solidify Clint Eastwood as a bonafide Hollywood leading man after the success of his other two Leone films,A Fistful of DollarsandFor A Few Dollars More.
3Dial M For Murder
1954
The classic murder scene fromDial M For Murderis briefly shown in Linklater’sHit Man. Often regarded as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest films,Dial M For Murderstars Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. The two play husband and wife until Milland’s character Tony Wendice arranges for the murder of his wife Margot Wendice becuase she had an affair with another man. This premise acts as the inspiration for some of the characters inHit Manwho enlist Gary for his services.Dial M For Murderhas many traditional tropes of the crime thriller genre, such as blackmail, deceit, and, of course, murder. The film shares a similar level of sophistication asHit Manwhere things don’t always go according to plan.
2Barry
2018 - 2023
A clip from the celebrated HBO seriesBarryappears inHit Manas well.Barry, which won 10 Emmy Awards during its four seasons and 32 episodes, follows a hitman from the Midwest who moves to Los Angeles and decides to become an actor. Comedian and actor Bill Hader stars as Barry and also co-created the series alongside Alec Berg. The series is a great example of a protagonist who is likable and easy to root for despite being a hitman and a murderer. The series also stars Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, and Anthony Carrigan. All four seasons can be streamed on HBO and Max.
1In Bruges
2008
In Brugesis one of the best hitman comedies ever made and arguably one of the greatest dark comedies of the 21st century. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are an iconic pair as two assassins who flee to Bruges, Belgium after a job goes wrong. The film is written and directed by Martin McDonagh, who also wrote and directed the celebrated 2022 filmThe Banshees of Inisherin, which also paired Farrell and Gleeson together along with Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan.In Brugesis right on par withHit Manin terms of comedy, although it does not have the romantic element that acts as the backbone for the latest Linklater movie.In Brugesis full of dark humor, wit, and creative screenwriting, which is likely why Linklater referenced it inHit Man.
