SPOILERS: This column contains spoilers for “How to Make a Killing.”
Since the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” Glen Powell has been on a hot streak no one could have expected. He starred in films from established filmmakers like Richard Linklater and acted in summer blockbusters like “Twisters.” This all goes to say that I was highly intrigued when it was revealed Powell would be featured in an A24 film, “How to Make a Killing,” unlike any of his past work.
Released on Feb. 20, “How to Make a Killing” follows Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell), a man disowned at birth by his wealthy family, living a regular lifestyle. After being demoted at his job, Becket decides to go after his family’s inheritance, killing any relatives who stand between him and the money.
The film is told in a recap-narration style by Becket in his prison cell as he confesses his crimes to a priest before his death sentence is delivered. The framing of this narration style reminded me of the opening to “Amadeus,” when Antonio Salieri narrates the film’s events to a priest in a confession of guilt while incarcerated in a psych ward.
Starting the film off with this connection to an old classic, I was excited for how the rest of the film would play out. I was also a big fan of the warm, deep color grading paired with a slight addition of grain that made the digital imagery feel like it was shot on film.
While some of Becket’s relatives had little to no personality, Zach Woods and Topher Grace shone as cousins Noah and Steven Redfellow. Woods plays a performative abstract artist, and Grace stars as a glamorized megachurch pastor.
Unfortunately, neither of the two cousins had much screen time, but their presence was strongly felt through their loud personas that were hard to forget. Grace’s character’s introduction stuck with me, watching him clad in an outfit like something Justin Bieber might wear on his “My World” tour.
One of my largest complaints about this film ultimately comes from the story’s development. After Becket kills just one relative, he inherits a high-paying job on Wall Street through nepotism from his estranged uncle and even finds a new girlfriend after killing his second family member.
At this point in the film, it seemed clear that Becket did not need to go after the entire inheritance because he had everything that one would typically want in life, as well as little to no suspicion from authorities. Becket even explicitly asks himself multiple times in the narration why he didn’t stop there, and his answer was merely that it wasn’t over until the money was all his.
This could have satisfied me if he hated his new job or needed the large sum of money for a specific reason, but instead Becket’s character lacked a believable motivation, and it completely took me out of the film.
Where the strength of the writing dwindled, Powell made up for it with his incredible acting. His narration during each of the kill montages made the acts feel very precise and thought-out, adding to the character’s cunning personality. Powell has always been spot-on with his tone and delivery, which I first saw in his performance as Chad Radwell, an egotistical ‘frat-bro’ in “Scream Queens.”
The second half of the film follows Becket continuing with his plan while faced with a new threat from his childhood friend, Julia (Margaret Qualley), who makes multiple attempts to take a piece of the inheritance for herself.
I think Qualley is an exceptionally talented actress, but her character felt very underdeveloped, and her actions didn’t make much sense to me. Julia was established as an old friend whom Becket loved to hang out with as a child, but she has a quick change of heart once she sees that Becket turning his life around.
This could have been an exciting dynamic, with an old friend in a similar situation who resents the other for being able to better their life, but there just wasn’t enough screen time with her character for her emotions to resonate strongly with me. This film could have benefited from a longer runtime so the emotional beats could hit harder and the plot developments would feel less sudden.
Regardless, I found all of the kills to be entertaining, and both Powell and Qualley had strong performances. If anything, “How to Make a Killing” proves that the hype around Powell remains justified, and the actor is here to stay.
