By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Mixing satire with dark wit, this is a comical psychological drama that works on many levels. “How to Make a Killing” is loosely based on the 1949 comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” inspired by the idea of taking out family members standing in the way of inheritance. Featuring a surprisingly deep cast, Glen Powell leads the way in a role he was made to play.
Despite being born into a family worth billions of dollars, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) has had to claw and scrap for every dollar his entire life ever since his mother and him were disowned by his grandfather, Whitelaw Redfellow (Ed Harris). Deciding to take what is rightfully his, Becket begins to dispatch the arrogant family members standing ahead of him in line for that massive inheritance. Things become complicated when he develops romantic feelings for Ruth (Jessica Henwick), while also reuniting with his strange, troublesome childhood acquaintance Julia (Margaret Qualley).
Writer/director John Patton Ford, who received well-earned critical praise for his debut 2022 film, “Emily the Criminal,” returns with a sophisticated dark comedy as his sophomore effort. Despite having the main character as a murderer, Ford carefully orchestrates the scenes to sculpt him into a likable person while depicting the wealthy family member characters as unredeemable fodder. In this way, he successfully gets viewers to pull for the killer, threading the line between morality and karma similar to “American Psycho.” Ford uses a simplistic strategy as the main character recounts this macabre story with voice-over narration that takes the audience on a linear journey showing his progression to becoming a killer. This allows for very fluid pacing as the audience is exposed to one eccentric family member victim to the next.
Ford smartly incorporates dark, satirical humor to provide that levity viewers will appreciate. Instead of brutal, gruesome kill scenes, he opts for a subtle, wry depiction of violence that gives those sequences more of an incidental nature. This does give the film a sillier tone that suspends belief and promotes detachment. There is a certain absence of logic and reality that makes the production feel less authentic. While the ambiguity in the film’s tone may be off-putting to some, the filmmaker’s cynicism towards the American Dream and dynastic wealth will appeal to many. Ford incorporates a very different visual style in this movie compared to his first endeavor, using a richer, more saturated cinematography that provides a slicker, more polished aesthetic to complement the story.
Because this film is so character driven, the talented cast is enabled to shine with Glen Powell capitalizing the most. The typically one-dimensional actor is perfectly suited for this role, highlighting his natural charm and charisma to make this otherwise murderous character extremely likable. Using his most prolific talent, that disarming smile, in nearly every scene, he earns that “get out of jail free” card with the audience. His almost innocent acts of murderous intent get swept under the rug by his good-natured affability. Although, his excessive voice-over narration does limit his comedic potential.
Having a supporting cast anchored by the veteran talent of four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris makes it easier on any director, but it is Margaret Qualley that provides a memorable performance. She supplies an old school type of femme fatale performance as a provocative character with mysterious motivations that keeps the audience guessing until the end. Her unpredictability and almost careless line delivery with emotionless eyes makes her character capable of anything, giving viewers the clear understanding she will undoubtedly be the catalyst for the plot’s climax.
This is the type of movie that if you go into it looking for logic flaws, you will find them, but it’s meant to be amusing and provides a satisfactory filmgoing experience. “How to Make a Killing” is a solid update to an old story with enough satirical cynicism to make it more of a worthy rental at home rather than a trip to the cinema. However, Glen Powell fans will be handsomely rewarded for catching it on the big screen.
This movie earns:
