Richard Linklater's unexpected philosophical-police-thriller-comedy tells the allegedly true(ish) story of a mild-manner professor and part-time police advisor who inadvertently becomes an undercover 'hit man' to get evidence on people who want to hire a killer, but things get complicated when he falls for a newly-separated client and gets embroiled in an actual murder. With an interesting theme of identity threaded throughout, the story is curiously and consistently engaging if somewhat deliberate and contrived, even though not a lot actually happens until a neat twist that sets up the final act. Long-time Linklater-collaborator Glen Powell works very well in portraying the different personalities he adopts in both his personal and professional lives, and the chemistry between Powell and Adria Adjona is effective. Juggling genres makes the film feel a little inconsistent in tone at times - the Coen Brothers meets Woody Allen - but overall this is a well-constructed and entertaining watch.
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