Glen Powell has a colorful history when it comes to acting. He’s been in everything from Spy Kids 3D: Game Over to Top Gun: Maverick, which notably crossed the coveted $1 billion line the summer it was released. After winning awards for his performance alongside Tom Cruise, Powell’s winning streak continued into 2024, where he starred as an unassuming professor and part-time professional killer in Hit Man. The movie made the jump to Netflix just last week, but for the last three days, Powell and the rest of the cast have been safe and secure in their spot at the top of Netflix’s movie list.
Hit Man first started making waves at the Venice Film Festival in 2023, coming to US audiences via TIFF in May 2024 and dropping to Netflix on June 7th. The movie, based on a true story from 2001, stars Top Gun: Maverick’s Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, an unassuming college professor who stumbles his way into becoming a part-time contract killer for the New Orleans Police Department. Tasked with getting murder-for-hire confessions out of people, Gary – under the alias “Ron” – meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants her abusive husband killed. Ron immediately begins to fall for Madison, compromising both his mission and his identity as the two begin a relationship, and Gary gets pulled deeper into the web of murder surrounding Madison and her ex-husband Ray (Evan Holtzman).
Hit Man was reviewed fairly positively after its domestic release last year, but coming to Netflix seems to have given it a new lease on life. Despite having dropped to Netflix three days ago, it’s been sitting pretty in the number one spot. Also on the list are Under Paris, a 2024 monster-thriller flick, Wonder, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, and Crazy Rich Asians. Looking forward, it’s hard to say how long Glen Powell and Hit Man will remain Netflix’s top dog or if his popularity is simply because he’s the shiniest, newest thing on the platform, but everyone can enjoy it while it lasts.
