7 Movies Like ‘Hit Man’ to Watch After the Glen Powell Crime Comedy
Filmmaker Richard Linklater’s true-story crime comedy “Hit Man” is a specific delight, with Glen Powell turning in quite possibly his best performance yet as a fake hit man who must continue pretending to be one after he strikes up a relationship with a woman who wanted her husband murdered.
Since debuting on Netflix last week, the film has gained a number of fans as its witty, romantic and surprising charm lingers long after the credits roll. But if you’re looking for something to fill that void ASAP, we’ve put together a list of movies like “Hit Man” that may help scratch that particular itch. These films share similar qualities with the Glen Powell film – they’re funny, they’re set in the criminal world and they’re all streaming on Netflix right now.
Check out these movies like “Hit Man” next on Netflix.
“Baby Driver”
“Shaun of the Dead” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” filmmaker Edgar Wright turned his attention to the heist genre for his 2017 film “Baby Driver.” While the film still has plenty of Wright’s knack for well-constructed humor, the stakes get serious after a twist halfway through the film. But for the entirety, this movie’s a blast just like “Hit Man” – Ansel Elgort plays a getaway driver with tinnitus who constantly listens to music, and the songs he plays soundtrack all the action beats (sometimes in rhythm with gun shots, tire screeches and cuts). The stacked cast includes Lily James, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx.
“Pineapple Express”
Sillier in tone than “Hit Man” but more action-packed, “Pineapple Express” was the next big movie from writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg after their smash hit coming-of-age comedy “Superbad.” Inspired by 80s action movies, the premise of “Pineapple Express” is simple: what if you were on the run with your drug dealer? Rogen plays a process server who witnesses a murder and then gets waylaid with his lonely pot dealer, played by James Franco. Incredible physical comedy ensues from director David Gordon Green, and the film made a star out of Danny McBride.
“The Gentlemen”
Guy Ritchie knows the crime genre like the back of his hand, and his 2019 film “The Gentlemen” puts him square back in “Snatch” mode with a big ensemble cast, complicated plot and lots of laughs. Matthew McConaughey plays a pot kingpin who gets wrapped up in a complex web of conspiracy when he becomes the target of an investigation, with Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong and Hugh Grant filling out the cast of characters.
“Burn After Reading”
It’s still one of the biggest flexes in cinema history that after winning a ton of Oscars for their stark drama “No Country for Old Men,” the Coen Brothers turned around and immediately made an incredibly silly spy spoof. In that way, “Burn After Reading” shares DNA with “Hit Man” as the Netflix film is a flex from cowriter/director Richard Linklater, who’s been Oscar nominated before and made plenty of dramas like “Boyhood” and the “Before” trilogy. “Burn After Reading” is a hoot — it’s the Coen Brothers making their version of a “Bourne” movie, turning the genre on its head as the story follows a group of idiots (Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt and George Clooney) who think they’ve uncovered a CIA conspiracy. Their actions draw the attention of the real CIA, and hilarious chaos ensues.
“The Killer”
If it’s more hit man stories you want, David Fincher’s 2023 film “The Killer” is terrific. Michael Fassbender stars as a gig economy hit man who goes on the run after a botched job. Written by Fincher’s “Seven” scribe Andrew Kevin Walker, the film is dark at points, but there’s an undercurrent of sharp humor that makes this thing a pure delight. Fincher digs deep into process here, following the minutiae of what it takes for Fassbender’s character to complete each hit (the film is told in chapters). Give it a whirl.
“A Simple Favor”
Few films are as surprising moment to moment as “A Simple Favor.” Truly, at any given turn, anything could happen in this candy-coated thriller/dark comedy. Anna Kendrick plays a vlogging single mother who suddenly finds the opportunity to step into the spotlight when her friend, a PR director for a fashion company (played by Blake Lively) goes missing. Henry Golding and Andrew Rannells co-star in this Hitchcock-inspired delight that you might be shocked to find hails from “Bridesmaids” and “Spy” filmmaker Paul Feig.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
If it was the romance you sparked to in “Hit Man,” then “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” will hit the right spot. The 2005 action comedy stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a married couple who each secretly works as a spy, unbeknownst to the other – until they’re hired by their respective agencies to take each other out. The action scenes are more romantic and flirtatious than high-octane, and Pitt and Jolie have terrific chemistry together (indeed, this is the film that sparked their relationship).
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