10 Best Movies Like Hit Man

There are several great movies to watch after Richard Linklater’s Hit Man. The new Glen Powell film features the Top Gun: Maverick breakout star in his most versatile role yet, playing a loner college professor who moonlights as an assassin for his local police department. Already being considered one of the best movies of Richard Linklater’s extensive career as a director and screenwriter, Hit Man blends several genres to create a well-balanced mix of screwball/romantic comedy, action-inspired thriller, and classic film noir. Since releasing on Netflix on June 7, 2024, the film has become one of the most popular titles on the streaming platform.

Hit Man also became Powell’s highest rated movie of his acting career after earning a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly getting the edge over the massively successful box office hit Top Gun: Maverick, which earned a score of 96%. Hit Man’s cast is 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. Hit Man is 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.

10. The Killer

2023

While Linklater’s Hit Man ends up being a story that deconstructs standard hitman/assassin movies, David Fincher’s The Killer is a full-bodied and sleek film about a professional assassin who botches the first job in his career. If viewers were expecting a true action-packed suspense story out of Hit Man, they will appreciate the tone and direction of The Killer, which features a cold-blooded Michael Fassbender as its protagonist. Like Hit Man, The Killer is rooted in the real world, although it is not based on a true story. The Killer integrates common services and everyday items into the framework of the assassin’s methodology, such as renting out a WeWork space for a target at long range, which makes it feel more unsettling and modern than other hitman movies before it.

9.Anyone But You

2023

Anyone But You is more or less a traditional run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that was heightened by the timeliness of its lead casting choices. As two of Hollywood’s most entertaining and in-demand rising stars, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney made for a perfect onscreen combination that elevated Anyone But You to becoming a must-see movie. The film was recently released on Netflix after having a surprise run at the box office in early 2024 and makes for a great precursor before watching Hit Man, since both films are at their cores romantic comedies. Powell proves with Hit Man that he can light up the chemistry with more than one co-star, hinting that he will likely continue to star in a number of romantic comedies in the future and could even team up with Sweeney again for a sequel.

8.Lucky Number Slevin

2006

As far as modern hitman comedy thrillers go, Lucky Number Slevin is a great watch with an unbelievable cast. Led by Josh Hartnett, who has recently made a big Hollywood comeback after starring in Black Mirror, Oppenheimer, and the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan film Trap, Lucky Number Slevin features performances by Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, and Stanley Tucci. While the film definitely leans more into the realm of a sleek and dramatic thriller, the dialogue is snappy and full of punches that keep audiences laughing while also keeping them on the edges of their seat. Lucky Number Slevin is required viewing for fans of Hartnett, who plays a person who is mistaken for someone else that owes a lot of money to powerful people in New York City.

7.In Bruges

2008

In Bruges is 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 film The Banshees of Inisherin, which also paired Farrell and Gleeson together along with Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. In terms of overall laugh potential, In Bruges is right on par with Hit Man, although it does not have the romantic element that acts as the backbone for the latest Linklater movie. Still, the sheer comedic value of In Bruges is timeless and a great follow-up to Hit Man.

6.Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2005

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a modern classic action movie that goes down in history as the film that brought Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together, both onscreen and in real life. In many ways, Mr. & Mrs. Smith exists in a very similar vein as both Anyone But You and Hit Man, since it also stands as a landmark moment not just in cinematic history but also in pop culture. Mr. & Mrs. Smith was one of the most profitable movies of 2005 and had a similar sense of relevancy that inspired Anyone But You to become a box office hit. The chemistry and rivalry between Jolie and Pitt are the bread and butter of the movie, and fans who were looking for more action, stunts, and set pieces in Hit Man will get their fill from watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

5.Set It Up

For fans who simply can’t get enough of Glen Powell, his 2018 romantic comedy Set It Up is a great watch after Hit Man. Set It Up pairs Powell with Zoey Deutch and Charlie and Harper, two corporate executive assistants who try to make their own lives easier by setting up a romantic interest between their two bosses. The film features Powell in one of his first leading roles in a rom-com after he had already appeared in several of Richard Linklater’s films such as Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) and Fast Food Nation (2006). Set It Up began to establish Powell’s momentum in the romantic comedy genre and why it may not be as funny as Hit Man or and culturally relevant as Anyone But You, it’s still interesting to watch Powell before his skyrocketing to fame from Top Gun: Maverick.

Before Sunrise

1995

The Before trilogy is some of Linklater’s most prolific work as a screenwriter and a director, starting with the instant classic Before Sunrise in 1995. As just Linklater’s fourth directorial effort, Before Sunrise chronicles a spontaneous encounter between a man (Ethan Hawke) and a woman (Julie Delpy) on a train who decide to abandon their plans and continue talking by getting off together in Vienna. The entire movie chronicles their only evening together and is full of interesting dialogue and great conversations that touch on everything from introspective observations to existential dilemmas. Linklater shines as an auteur with Before Sunrise and would complete the trilogy with the same actors with Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).

3.Vertigo

1958

Hit Man drew influence from classic noirs such as Dial M For Murder and Double Indemnity, but it may share the most narrative similarities with a Hitchcock classic from 1958, Vertigo. Often considered one the greatest films ever made, Vertgio features similar themes to Hit Man of false identity, murder, and a powerful romance. Vertigo is also full of complex and sophisticated twists and turns, much like Hit Man, and is created by a master of cinema. While it doesn’t check all the boxes for a romantic comedy, the love story is highly suspenseful and rooted in deciet, which is exactly what Hit Man ends up being about. Vertigo is outstanding viewing for lovers of films in general and would make for an interesting comparison between it and Hit Man in the context of twisted cinematic love stories.

2.The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy is an outstanding 2024 comedy that is also rooted in the strong chemistry between its leads, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Although The Fall Guy received great reviews, its box office appeared to take a hit from the modern trend of people waiting for the film to hit streaming services. Still, this movie is the perfect follow up to Hit Man for viewers who are looking for a relevant and topical romantic comedy that also spoofs the action genre. The Fall Guy doesn’t go quite as deep into philosophy and character study as Hit Man does, but it is loaded with action sequences and impressive stunt work that likely had something to do with the newly announced Best Stunts category at the Academy Awards.

1. 21 Jump Street

2012

21 Jump Street remains one of the funniest modern comedies through the dynamic chemistry of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Although the film centers on undercover cops as opposed to undercover hitmen, the film employs similar types of humor in which the main characters have to take on false personas in order to gain the trust of the people they are looking to bust. Both 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street are equally hilarious which could inspire a potential Hit Man sequel if Linklater and Powell choose to go down that route. The ending of Hit Man shows Gary and Madison as a family with children, but Gary could always get pulled back into the job, and Madison just may join him in a potential sequel.