"Hit Man," the New Orleans-shot movie, is No. 1 on Netflix
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Glen Powell and Adria Arjona star in "Hit Man," which features a scene at Ted's Frostop in New Orleans. Photo: Brian Roedel/Netflix
New Orleans is back on the small screen with "Hit Man," and the killer comedy has topped Netflix's charts in its first week of streaming.
The big picture: Glen Powell ("Top Gun: Maverick") and Adria Arjona ("Father of the Bride") star in this quirky comedy about a professor who falls for a potential client during his undercover assignment, Maxwell Millington writes in Axios' streaming guide.
Intrigue: "Hit Man" is loosely based on the real-life tale of an undercover Houston cop posing as a hit man. Richard Linklater directs.
- Powell plays Gary Johnson, who thwarted murder-for-hire plots in the 1980s and 1990s, reports Axios Houston's Jay R. Jordan.
Yes, but: Filmmakers changed the setting to New Orleans and shot in Louisiana to take advantage of the state's tax incentives, according to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
Zoom in: In the movie, Johnson is a professor at the University of New Orleans and works a side gig for the New Orleans Police Department as a fake hit man.
- Some of the characters have a strong Southern drawl, but thankfully there's no cringeworthy mentions of "New Or-leenz."
- They even pronounce Bayou Gauche correctly and have a discussion about the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker that was last reportedly seen in Louisiana.
- Linklater and Powell, who are both from Texas and co-wrote the script, clearly did their homework.
On location: The movie was filmed in fall 2022.
- Powell shadowed UNO philosophy professor Frank Schalow to better understand his character, the university said. Schalow died a few days before the movie premiered.
- Shooting locations included UNO, Please-U Restaurant and Ted's Frostop Diner and several neighborhoods.
- Music from Louisiana legends Jelly Roll Morton, Buckwheat Zydeco and Professor Longhair add to the ambience.
💠Carlie's thought bubble: It was easy to get lost in the plot, and I had several laughs along the way.
- "Hit Man" is a good choice to stream this weekend if you are looking for a fun movie with a dose of murder tossed in.
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