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How Did This Get Made?
How Did This Get Made?

The Big Hit

May 08, 2026 • 1h 20m

Summary

⏱️ 10 min read

Overview

Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael dissect the 1998 action-comedy 'The Big Hit,' where Mark Wahlberg plays a people-pleasing hitman who accidentally kidnaps his boss's goddaughter. The hosts explore the film's awkward blend of violent action and romantic comedy, its problematic stereotypes, and its status as a time capsule of late-90s cinema that attempts to emulate Quentin Tarantino's style but falls flat. They discuss everything from the casual treatment of murder to the uncomfortable romance between a hitman and a kidnapping victim, all while celebrating the film's over-the-top performances and nostalgic video store finale.

Opening Chaos: Body Parts and Multiple Girlfriends

The movie opens with Mark Wahlberg's character Melvin Smiley disposing of body parts in his girlfriend's bathtub while juggling two relationships. The hosts immediately identify the film's tonal problems, as it tries to make light of murder, cheating, and other dark subject matter. They discuss how the movie presents Melvin as a 'people pleaser' who can't say no to anyone, leading to his involvement with multiple women and a dangerous kidnapping scheme orchestrated by his crew led by Lou Diamond Phillips.

  • Mark Wahlberg opens the film transporting chopped-up body parts in white kitchen garbage bags to his girlfriend's house
  • Melvin has both a fiancée (Christina Applegate) and a girlfriend he's supporting financially
  • The girlfriend finds a severed head in the bags but casually asks 'who is that?' and says 'he's cute'
  • The hosts question why a professional hitman would use flimsy white kitchen bags instead of heavy-duty bags for body parts
" Can you imagine the smell in that bathroom? You have a still bleeding out man. "
" This movie is about asses and dicks. We see a lot of male ass in this movie. "

The Kidnapping Plot and College Student Romance

Lou Diamond Phillips convinces the crew to kidnap a rich businessman's daughter for quick cash, but it turns out she's their boss's goddaughter. Mark Wahlberg falls in love with the victim, who the hosts debate is either a high school or college student based on inconsistent presentation. They discuss the problematic Stockholm Syndrome romance and the film's attempt to make this a charming love story despite the kidnapping and age concerns.

  • The kidnapping victim wears a school uniform and says she's in 'AP English,' suggesting high school despite production notes claiming college
  • A young crew member sexually assaults the victim during the kidnapping before being shot by Mark Wahlberg
  • Mark Wahlberg and the victim bond while making a kosher chicken dinner together in a scene with disturbing amounts of raw chicken handling
  • The victim declares she wants the 'adrenaline rush' of being with a hitman for the rest of her life
" June, she's in college. Is she in college? Is she? She's wearing a high school uniform. Why is she in a uniform? "
" Men who cheat and have multiple partners, the reason is never because I'm a people pleaser. "
" This is a movie that profiles one of the very few men who is in multiple relationships against his will. "

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