Richard Linklater's 'Hit Man' scores big before Netflix debut

The latest film by Richard Linklater has just hit theatres. Made for about $13 million CAD, "Hit Man" has done quite well at the global box office and still has a chance to improve that result. However, it doesn't have much time left as it will soon be available for streaming. Netflix bought it for twice the production's budget.

Known primarily for the "Before" trilogy featuring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, the musical comedy "School of Rock" with Jack Black, or the long-running project "Boyhood," the American director has returned with a light but morally ambiguous action comedy. As shown by ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, critics were nearly unanimous—as many as 97% of over 130 reviews are positive.

"Hit Man" tells the story of an average philosophy teacher (a rising star, Glen Powell) who earns extra money through police sting operations. One day, he is forced to leave the safety of his van and enter the action, posing as a hitman-for-hire. Over time, the protagonist starts to get better at his undercover role, but when he meets a beautiful, wounded woman (Adria Arjona) while on the job, things unexpectedly get complicated.

"Hit Man" premiered at last year's Venice International Film Festival. It was there that Netflix representatives spotted it and—unlike other big market players who hesitated to buy it—immediately approached Linklater with an offer. It was quite a lucrative one: the work, which cost $13–14 million CAD, was ultimately purchased for twice that amount.

– The studios could have had it, but despite the overwhelming audience and critical response, they just acted like they weren’t totally convinced. It’s a weird time in our industry—not as good as it once was, put it like that. Netflix was the company that stepped up with the right attitude, like, "Hey, we love this film, and we want to make sure everybody sees it." They made it an easy choice for us – admitted Linklater in an interview with "Texas Monthly."

Of course, the director still tried to convince the VOD giant's executives to keep his latest work in theatres as long as possible before it hits streaming. – I think every creator whose film goes to Netflix has this conversation with them. I hope people will watch "Hit Man" in theatres. But I also know that by the time many discover the movie, it will already be out of theatres – the creator soberly assessed.

One of the loudest and most anticipated June premieres on Netflix is undoubtedly the second part of the third season of "Bridgerton." The first four episodes were released in mid-May and, as usual with this production, created a buzz. No one should doubt that the upcoming episodes, which will be available on the 13th, will change anything.

An exciting offer seems to be "A Family Affair" with a star-studded cast. In the romantic comedy by Richard LaGravenese, debuting on the service on June 28, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Kathy Bates, and Joey King (soon Canadian viewers will also see her in a series "We Were the Lucky Ones," based on the true story of a family from Radom). Next month, there will also be a chance to catch up on some notable titles from recent years: "Crazy Rich Asians," "Fifty Shades of Grey," and "Carol."