After Netflix's Hit Man, Glen Powell's 8-Year-Old Box Office Bomb is a must-watch.
With their acting, directing, and co-written script for Hit Man, Glen Powell and Richard Linklater hit gold; this reminds us of their sometimes overlooked partnership from 2016. With an amazing 96% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Glen Powell leads the Hit Man cast as Gary Johnson, a psychology professor also employed as a fictitious undercover hitman for the New Orleans Police Department. But as he falls in love with Madison (Adria Arjona), his experimental assassin aliases get convoluted.
Now tying Top Gun: Maverick as Glen Powell's highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes (Richard Linklater's is still Before Sunrise at 100%), Hit Man is a resounding success for the actor-director combo on Netflix. Not only has Hit Man dominated the top 10 trending movies area since its premiere on June 7, but it has also created more demand for similar romantic comedies. Powell and Linklater do not have another film scheduled together following Hit Man, but they already have a suitable cinematic partnership from eight years ago that merits far more attention than it received upon release.
Everybody Wants Some Is The Perfect Watch After Hit Man by Glen Powell and Richard Linklater
Another film to see that perfectly embodies Glen Powell and Richard Linklater's cooperative charm following Hit Man is the 2016 comedy Everybody Wants Some. Linklater's 1993 cult masterpiece Dazed and Confused, Everybody Wants Some, which is described as a "spiritual successor," chronicles a 1980 collegiate baseball team from the day they move into their off-campus house until the first day of classes starts. Emphasizing once more how maestro of the hangout movie Linklater shines, Everybody Wants Some has an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score. With only $5.4 million against an expected $10 million budget, the movie sadly flunk in theaters (Box Office Mojo).
Although Blake Jenner was the featured guy for Everybody Wants Some, Glen Powell—who played upperclassman Walt "Finn"—Finnegan—had one of the best performances from the baseball team ensemble. Glen Powell's delightful performance in the Paramount+-streaming Everybody Wants Some is a terrific illustration of why he's so ideal as the chameleon Gary Johnson in Hit Man both playing into and rejecting the jock stereotype. Apart from both Hit Man and Everybody Want Some, Powell and Linklater have shown themselves to be underappreciated actor-director team with additional projects Fast Food Nation and Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood.
Why Everybody Wants Some Bombed At The Box Office In 2016 (Despite Great Reviews)?
Linklater's follow-up to his multi-generationally renowned picture Dazed and Confused, Everybody Wants Some was praised, so it was shocking that the 2016 film flopped commercially. Everybody Wants Some, however, only had a limited theatrical release—an initial 19-theater release before rising to a maximum 454-theater release. For background, Finding Dory was exhibited in 4,305 theaters and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was presented in 4,157 cinemas wide release box office smashes from 2016.
Though it earned $8.1 million against an anticipated $6.9 million budget, considering Dazed and Confused was also a box office flop; its potential for long-term cultural success shouldn't be diminished by its performance in the commercial arena. Though considering Dazed and Confused was a box office flop, making $8.1 million against an estimated $6.9 million budget, Everybody Wants Some's commercial result shouldn't take away from its potential for long-term cultural triumph. VOD and Blu-ray releases for the film soon after its theatrical debut suggest that Paramount did not want for the film to have legs at the box office. Actually, Linklater has only had one major "hit," Jack Black's School of Rock, which brought in $131 million. Many, though, believe that Hit Man would have performed better if it had been theatrically released instead of being Netflix-only.
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell: An explosive team
Glen Powell and Richard Linklater have turned out to be a creative match that works. Their cooperation on Hit Man has drawn compliments for its humor, heart, and unusual mix of romance and action. The movie is evidence of Powell's comic skills and Linklater's ability to craft likable and interesting characters. The popularity of the movie reminds us of the pair's past work, Everybody Wants Some, which despite its box office result has been praised for its nostalgic and lovely depiction of college life.
Both Hit Man and Everybody Wants Some show the potency of Powell and Linklater's creative team. The pair has attracted a devoted following by their ability to combine heart with comedy to produce relevant people and interesting narratives. Two outstanding films produced by their teamwork highlight their individual skills and capacity to craft funny and touching narratives.
Hit Man: Examining the Cinema
Based on a Texas Monthly piece of the same name, director Richard Linklater produces Hit Man, a 2023 action comedy. A Houston police officer poses as a hitman undercover trying to apprehend a gang of criminals until he falls for a woman on assignment. Deeper into the realm of crime, the Houston police discovers it harder and harder to get out from his new undercover persona.
Combining comedy, action, and romance in an original manner, Hit Man is a really fun movie. Particularly noteworthy is Glen Powell's portrayal as the disguised hitman, which highlights his comic timing and his ability to capture a figure both charming and dangerous. Along with a great supporting cast including Adria Arjona, the movie has a gripping plot that will keep audiences interested all through.
