RATING 3.5 out of 5

How to Make a Killing rides the mega watt charm and charisma of Glen Powell, that when combined with a strong set of scene stealing supporting performances, make for a fun dark comedy even if the biteless screenplay from John Patton Ford cannot match the standard set by the cast.

John Patton Ford burst onto the filmmaking scene, earning strong critical praise for his debut film Emily the Criminal when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2022. Naturally the question was, what will he do next, which only created excitement in the industry when it announced that his second film would star Glen Powell as a young man embarking on a quest to kill his relatives to acquire his family’s immense wealth. There is no doubt growth showing in Ford as a filmmaker as he tackles a tonally different film, working with some serious Hollywood talent including Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris and Topher Grace, as How to Make a Killing is an enjoyable dark comedy thriller full of great performances, that continues to show Ford’s promise as a storyteller. Though, his sophomore feature film never feels as critical as it could have been as Ford never fully explores the “eat the rich” and effect of obscene wealth on individuals ideas that are inherent in the film’s premise, instead stopping short to create a crowd pleasing film that doesn’t tap into the grittier storytelling the film’s premise calls for.

Characterizing the obscene wealth and personality of the rich in the screenplay is rather easy to do, and Ford does this by focusing on the greed, lack of awareness and self-indulgent nature of the members of the Redfellow family that are on Beckett’s hit list. In doing so, Ford’s writing naturally lends itself to creating humorous moments as you watch these completely out of touch individuals interacting with those below them in the financial and social food chain, which begins his commentary on wealth and power. This naturally lends itself to dark comedy moments in the screenplay as Beckett begins to explore killing his relatives, and for a lack of a more on the nose word, these moments are killer and help to create a crowd-pleasing experience. From the absurd and hilarious manner in which the members of the Redfellow family meet their fate, Qualley’s vicious femme fatale Julia creating chaos every time she pops up on screen, to Beckett’s emotionless and gleeful narration of his life story with the prison priest, there is no shortage of entertaining moments throughout the film to deliver big laughs.

But sadly, at the same time, Ford’s screenplay does not go far beyond this initial characterization of the rich, which is the film’s biggest weakness. There have been lots of films and television series that have explored the greed and inhumanness of the disgustingly wealthy, so the audience is no stranger to the “eat the rich” idea at the centre of How to Make a Killing. But Ford fails to truly explore this idea, stopping at the simple idea that the rich are greedy, not self-aware of their position in life and their self-indulgence. There are hints that there is something more he wants to say about these individuals, notably evident in the character of Bill Camp’s Warren Redfellow who clearly has a human side to him, but instead of exploring these ideas in relation to Beckett who begins down a path that has him slowly turning into what he set out to kill at the story’s beginning, Ford neglects to engage these interesting concepts. It’s not a fatal flaw of the film, as there is no denying that How to Make a Killing is a fun watch, but it’s just surprising that a film built around exterminating the rich for personal gain lacks the necessary critical bite to truly make this dark comedy thriller the scathing take down of the elite it wants to be.

Beckett Redfellow is an intriguing character, one that is inherently good and an underdog in every sense of the word, but one that finds himself committing unspeakable acts to seek revenge against the family that tossed him aside. There is a nuanced complexity and evolution to Beckett, and Powell excellently captures this in the role. Finding a bumbling awkwardness to Beckett at the beginning of the film, as Beckett grapples with the notion of actually being able to commit murder, Powell instills a kindness to Beckett that he never loses sight of as the character evolves over the course of the film. Even as Beckett begins to knock off his relatives and begins to display an uncanny likeness to American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman from the self-assured way he carries himself or that killer smile, which Powell delivers with a chilling ease, Powell keeps Beckett’s gracious roots at the centre of the character and ensures that he is always an underdog that the audience can cheer for (albeit with some moral hesitation to do so). This grounding of Powell’s performance is never more evident than in his scenes opposite Bill Camp, where the film truly develops this internal conflict within Beckett between his killer ambitions and his inherent goodness, while his fiery chemistry with Qualley is off the charts every time the two of them share the screen. It’s a darker role than what audiences are used to seeing Powell, but it's another great showcase for his range as an actor that confirms his movie star status.

Matching the committed performance of Powell is the film’s incredibly talented supporting cast. Qualley is a scene stealer as Julia Steinway, Beckett’s wealthy childhood friend, who sees an opportunity to leverage Beckett to enrich herself. She is downright diabolical in the most calculating way possible that brings some great laughs to the film, but at the same time creates a deliciously devious femme fatale character that when paired with her fiery sexual tension with Powell, results in an unforgettable character that you can’t get enough of and wish there was more of. As the patriarch of the Redfellow family, you could not more perfectly cast the sinister and coldness of Whitelaw Redfellow with any other actor other than Harris, that despite only having two scenes, leaves a lasting chill on the film. As the only truly good character in the film, Jessica Henwick is great as Ruth, bringing a nurturing and down to earth aurora to the story that keeps Beckett grounded despite the immoral acts he commits. 

Ford’s script creates quirky relatives for Beckett to knock off to inch closer to the family fortune, and both Grace and Zach Woods revel in the cookiness of their characters, delivering two wildly entertaining performances. Grace is incredibly slimy and revolting as Pastor Steven J. Redfellow, one of the most unholy characters pretending to be holy you have met recently on screen, playing his scene with an outrageous energy and overload of toxic masculinity that delivers big laughs and a despicable character that you can’t wait to bite the dust. Woods finds a scathing, demeaning nature in Noah Redfellow, effortlessly capturing a young man who pretends his wealth does not define him in the most obnoxious way possible, creating yet another character that the audience will love to hate in the most entertaining way imaginable.

With the entire production revolving around and reliant on Glen Powell’s dazzling charm and striking, and when required chilling, charisma, John Patton Ford’s second film never fails to entertain and easily overcomes its narrative shortcomings. Despite being full of some truly hilarious moments and absurd death sequences as Beckett Redfellow moves closer and closer to being the sole beneficiary of the Redfellow family fortune, John Patton Ford’s writing never fully embraces the ideas of wealth, corruption and greed that he introduces, which prevents How to Make a Killing from being a great film. Led by a terrific Glen Powell and a scene stealing Margaret Qualley, whose electrifying pairing lights up the screen, there is some serious fun to be had with John Patton Ford’s How to Make a Killing thanks to some great moments of dark comedy and unforgettable outrageous deaths, despite the screenplay not digging deep enough into its central ideas.