How to Make a Killing

"How to Make a Killing" is a twisted dark comedy anchored by devilishly charming Glen Powell. John Patton Ford weaves together a serious moral reckoning about learning to value what you already have and a sly, smirking satire reminding us what the rich and powerful can get away with. Who doesn’t enjoy watching Glen Powell be effortlessly charming with a rebellious edge? For the past few years, he seems drawn to playing morally grey leading men that utilize his attractiveness and charisma to offset their reckless actions. Most recent examples include "Hit Man," "Twisters," and last year’s "The Running Man." All three of those films worked thanks in large part to his reliably magnetic screen presence; however, Powell’s winning formula threatens to not have much juice left with John Patton Ford’s sophomore feature, "How to Make a Killing." Becket Redfellow (Powell) comes from a wealthy lineage. Only one problem: he has never seen a single cent of the family fortune. His mother was outcast from the Redfellows for being pregnant at a young age. All grown up and struggling to find financial stability in his life, Becket plans to murder his relatives and receive the inheritance he believes he is owed. He meets some people connected to the family along the way who help him find his own happiness. But every step closer to being rich makes it more difficult for him to stop, even as his chances of getting caught increase. Ford’s film will face many comparisons to Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, another dark comedy about a desperate man driven to murder his competition to secure financial success. This might seem unfair since it is inspired by Robert Hamer’s 1949 film, Kind Hearts and Coronets. Still, releasing so soon after a breathtakingly innovative achievement tackling a similar subject matter from one of our best filmmakers working today is bound to make anything look relatively worse. That said, How to Make a Killing marginally succeeds at keeping the audience entertained by Becket’s pursuit of wealth. Powell continues to play to his strengths of disarming those around him with his playful personality. He may not be quite as captivating to watch here as he was in some of his other recent roles, particularly Hit Man, which calls into question how much longer he can play this type of character before it becomes stale. Thankfully, it’s not stale yet, bringing an endearing vulnerability and relatable frustration to Becket as he grapples with how far he is willing to go to find happiness, and how much money can buy it. An unfortunate shortcoming of "How to Make a Killing" is the wasted potential of its supporting cast. Margaret Qualley gets a substantial role as Becket’s childhood crush, Julia. While the film paints her as a mysterious wildcard, the clunky writing of her character convolutes the story beats in the second half. By contrast, Becket forms a romance with a woman named Ruth (Jessica Henwick) that lacks depth, even though she and Powell have solid chemistry together. The Redfellow family is comprised of actors who seem to be having a good time in their roles, like Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Bianca Amato, and Ed Harris. But none of them make much of an impression. The only one more pivotal to the plot is Bill Camp as a relative Becket connects with, who gives him a job. This presents the most interesting moral dilemma of the story, even if the film falls short of exploring the complexities of that dynamic as much as it could have. "How to Make a Killing" may not be an ambitious new take on the “eat the rich” satire, but it is still a decently entertaining time. John Patton Ford gives the film a fun energy to balance out the dark tone of its premise, ensuring the narrative moves at a tight pace throughout its brisk 109-minute runtime. Unfortunately, the writing is a step down from his impressive debut, Emily the Criminal. Glen Powell might want to consider if playing so many similar roles in a row could lead to diminishing returns, but he remains a joy to watch for now.

Movie was great it had a great twist to it family can be so cruel this movie teaches a life lesson