"My Hero The Hitman" is a documentary that should appeal to fans of popular culture, especially 1990s pop culture. The film looks at how a person may or may not be defined by the worst thing they ever did. In today's world where many people strive for "fame" at any cost, and the debate over "cancel culture" rages, the issues examined in this film are more relevant than ever.
The film starts with a montage of crazy things that happened in the early 1990s, and then introduces us to a main characters in one of those stories - Shane Stant. Stant is the man hired by associates of Tonya Harding to take figure skater Nancy Kerrigan out of the 1994 Winter Olympics. The plan didn't work (Kerrigan won a silver medal), but it changed several lives forever.
Shane Stant's life is examined from two main angles - how the public saw him, and how his younger sister, a baby when the attack occurred, saw him. The public saw a thug/monster in the attack's immediate aftermath. His sister, knowing only the post-prison Stant, saw him as a role model and father figure. The same person, seen by different audiences at different times in his life, appears as two totally different people.
The documentary examines the abusive childhood of both Stant siblings, as well as covering the details of the Kerrigan attack and its aftermath from the viewpoint of an insider. Shane Stant appears honest and forthcoming in his interviews, recalling how the attack and resulting prison time helped him grow into a better person. Many viewers will feel sympathetic that a single act committed decades ago continues to define his life in many ways. Shane's story is similar of that of the actor Danny Trejo, who also got off to a bad start but then redeemed himself later in life.
The documentary isn't perfect, partially because the budget appears to be very low. The soundtrack consists of original music by the director, but might have benefited from pop songs of the early 1990s. A few of the segments with Stant's sister or her friends probably could have been cut without any detriment to the film (although the runtime is already short). After more than five years in production by a first time director, the documentary manages to mix pop culture with relevant societal issues in an original and very personal way.
The film starts with a montage of crazy things that happened in the early 1990s, and then introduces us to a main characters in one of those stories - Shane Stant. Stant is the man hired by associates of Tonya Harding to take figure skater Nancy Kerrigan out of the 1994 Winter Olympics. The plan didn't work (Kerrigan won a silver medal), but it changed several lives forever.
Shane Stant's life is examined from two main angles - how the public saw him, and how his younger sister, a baby when the attack occurred, saw him. The public saw a thug/monster in the attack's immediate aftermath. His sister, knowing only the post-prison Stant, saw him as a role model and father figure. The same person, seen by different audiences at different times in his life, appears as two totally different people.
The documentary examines the abusive childhood of both Stant siblings, as well as covering the details of the Kerrigan attack and its aftermath from the viewpoint of an insider. Shane Stant appears honest and forthcoming in his interviews, recalling how the attack and resulting prison time helped him grow into a better person. Many viewers will feel sympathetic that a single act committed decades ago continues to define his life in many ways. Shane's story is similar of that of the actor Danny Trejo, who also got off to a bad start but then redeemed himself later in life.
The documentary isn't perfect, partially because the budget appears to be very low. The soundtrack consists of original music by the director, but might have benefited from pop songs of the early 1990s. A few of the segments with Stant's sister or her friends probably could have been cut without any detriment to the film (although the runtime is already short). After more than five years in production by a first time director, the documentary manages to mix pop culture with relevant societal issues in an original and very personal way.
