‘How to Make a Killing’ Review: Glen Powell Stars in a Kill-the-Rich Satire with Absolutely No Bite

There are a few things audiences shouldn’t worry about during the course of a snappy crime caper. Or, there are a few things audiences shouldn’t even think about during one, let alone find the time to worry about — especially not if our seemingly devious criminals aren’t worrying about them, either. Fingerprints. Surveillance cameras. Pretty obvious motives. The second we start doing the calculations, the grift is cooked, the fun is off, the show is over.

These were some of the many thoughts (and worries!) I found the time to ponder while watching John Patton Ford‘s loose “Kind Hearts and Coronets” remake, “How to Make a Killing.” While the inspiration for the “Emily the Criminal” filmmaker’s latest is certainly more goofy than what Ford has brought to the screen for his sophomore outing, it’s also significantly less funny and woefully devoid of the kind of snap and pop (hell, even the crackle) such a film should burst with.

If we’re going to kill the rich for fun and profit, we need some actual fun, right? Alas.

The ingredients are all there: Ford’s skill with stories about the evils of capitalism (and the delight of some good, old-fashioned revenge) was proven out with his Aubrey Plaza-starring debut, star and executive producer Glen Powell remains eager to bring his charisma and talent to all kinds of projects, the supporting cast is stacked, and the basic storyline is ripe for a new take.

But the film suffers from a pair of unfortunate missteps, the first of which is plain from the start and only gets worse as the film drags on. Written by Ford, “How to Make a Killing” awkwardly plays out through copious voiceover narration from Powell’s Becket Redfellow, heavy on exposition and light on much else. Becket knows enough to narrate his life story before it even starts — his mother grew up in insane wealth and privilege, but when she got pregnant at age 18, her cold father (Ed Harris) tossed her out without a care — and to guide us up until the precise moment the film actually opens.

It’s not a spoiler: Becket is in prison, about to be put to death, but he’s got four hours to chat it up with a baffled priest (Adrian Lukis). Becket uses this time to take the guy through his entire life story (with some sizable, murder-free jumps notably missing), most of it hinging on that essential wound inflicted on him before he was born. After losing his young father almost immediately (a pitch-black comedic bit that the rest of the film should have learned from), Becket’s childhood was built on his bond with his mother (Nell Williams), who strove to teach her progeny about the finer things in life, even when they were living in (gasp) New Jersey, off (gasp) the freeway, and she (gasp) had to toil with a thankless job at the DMV.

‘How to Make a Killing’A24

So while Becket grew up poor in finances, he also grew up rich in experiences (the film’s real locations and excellent costumes help out on both fronts). He knows how to play the piano. He did archery for a time. He loves a good suit. But when his mother died — and, crucially, his billionaire grandfather still refused to help her — Becket was left with only one burning desire, as demanded by his mom on her deathbed: to claw back the “right kind of life.” Financially speaking, that means he should get his inheritance (which, through some sort of mangled irrevocable trust, Becket can still benefit from), but only if every other person in front of him in the Redfellow line (all seven of them) kicks the bucket first.

And thus enters the film’s second great misstep: attempting to cast the eminently charming Powell as a bad dude, driven by rage. That alone is a problem, but things get still thornier as we go, because Ford himself seems unable to determine if Becket is, in fact, a bad dude. Or even if he could be. If he is at certain moments. That lack of character clarity, as filtered through the kind of actor we always want to root for? It makes for a deadly (dull) combination.

Letting Becket narrate the entire outing sure doesn’t help, adding a structure that isn’t just boring, but also confusing. There are moments in which it seems — perhaps? — that Becket’s narration is actually an internal monologue, but we never get close enough to him to decide if that’s the case. It also robs the film of what should be obvious pleasures, such as Becket planning the multiple murders he needs to complete to secure his fortune. Instead, we simply arrive at the scenes of his crimes, no forethought or intention provided, no snappy planning montages, no joy or humor in these dark machinations.

And that’s a real shame, because the killings? They’re quite clever. A young cousin is offed on a yacht in hilarious, potentially accidental fashion. Someone else suffers at the hands (dental trays?) of poison made to look like teeth whitener. And while not every one of Becket’s relatives gets the chance to shine, when they do, it gives “How to Make a Killing” the zing it’s otherwise so sorely missing. Zach Woods is a riot as another dim cousin easily swayed by Becket’s apparent interest in his “art” (later, Becket will take an actual interest in his girlfriend, Jessica Henwick, who plays the only person here with a moral center). Topher Grace offers up his own spin on “The Righteous Gemstones” as yet another cousin who absolutely has it coming to him (prequel spinoff?).

‘How to Make a Killing’A24

The stacked supporting cast also includes the great Bill Camp as Becket’s Uncle Warren, who takes the kid under his wing after meeting him at one of (many!) family funerals. That includes giving Becket a job at one of the family companies, and as his star begins to rise (and a relationship with Henwick’s Ruth starts to heat up), a curious question arises: Maybe Becket can stop the murders? Life seems pretty good right now? Billions, who needs ’em?

Such thorny moral questions are in short supply in the film, but this little pickle does provide the script’s smartest step: Let’s add in blackmail! When Becket was just a kid (playing piano, practicing archery, wanting so badly to be rich), he made pals with the wealthy Julia, a first love he’s never gotten over. And when she strides back into his life, played as an adult by Margaret Qualley (who absolutely gets this particular assignment), he’s still at her mercy. Julia, no slouch, knows full well what Becket is up to and is hellbent on using that information to cash out big time. Any time he shows signs of stopping? She’s right there.

It’s good motivation, the kind of stuff that keeps the film (and Becket) moving whenever it starts to slow, which is too often. We see the seams of it, of course, but at a certain point, that sort of craftsmanship is welcome. It’s a far cry from the more lax elements, which are far more prevalent. This should be tighter, meaner, leaner, cutting. How to make a killing? Let’s worry about the smaller stuff first.

Grade: C

A24 will release “How to Make a Killing” in theaters on Friday, February 20.

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