How to Make a Killing
Directed by John Patton FordDisowned by his obscenely wealthy family, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way in this irreverent thriller about how far a person will go for revenge.
- jackmeat7d agoMy quick rating - 6.1/10. Four hours until execution. I know because the giant text on the screen politely informed me. That is where How to Make a Killing kicks things off, with blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) sitting on death row getting a visit from a priest. Naturally, this means we are about to hear the story of how things went wrong. The movie rewinds all the way back to Becket’s beginnings, where his obscenely wealthy family gives his pregnant mother a lovely little ultimatum. Abort the baby and stay rich, or keep him and get kicked out of the family fortune. She chooses motherhood, which leaves Becket growing up on the outside while still trying to mold himself into someone worthy of the elite lifestyle he missed out on. The twist that fuels the whole movie is a legal loophole stating Becket gets the massive Redfellow inheritance if he outlasts every other family member. And by “outlasts,” well…this movie has a very creative interpretation of patience. Things start innocent enough, but the darker edges creep in pretty quickly, especially when Becket reconnects with childhood crush Julia (Margaret Qualley), who casually tells him, “Call me when you’ve killed them all.” That line alone feels like the movie quietly telling you exactly where this train is headed. I will admit, if I were planning to eliminate an entire wealthy family, I might go about it with a little more common sense than Becket demonstrates. Maybe avoid meeting up with each relative shortly before they mysteriously die? Just a thought. Thankfully, How to Make a Killing tries more dark comedy rather than believable crime logic, which makes the sillier moments easier to roll with. Powell does a solid job carrying the film with his usual charm, even when Becket makes decisions questionable enough to make you yell at the screen. Ed Harris as Whitelaw Redfellow also feels like perfect casting. He brings exactly the kind of intimidating rich-family patriarch energy this movie needs, even if the character itself is not especially deep. There is not much complexity here, and How to Make a Killing never really pushes beyond its basic premise, making parts of it predictable. The writing can feel cheesy and a bit contrived at times, though thankfully, it never becomes overly annoying. It still succeeds at what it sets out to do. Be a fun, easy piece of entertainment. The movie appears to be a direct remake of Kind Hearts and Coronets, which I have not seen, except that one had Alec Guinness playing eight lead roles, and I am willing to bet his acting was better. LOL. At the end of the day, How to Make a Killing did not blow me away in the slightest, but I had a good time with it, and sometimes that is all a movie really needs to do.
- Rob Logan | The Geek GenerationMay 1, 2026I was there with it for at least the first half, maybe a little more, but then this thing jumps off the rails toward the end. I felt like I was figuratively scratching my head for the entire third act wondering why so many of these characters were making the choices they were. Perhaps that was due to a lack of character development up to that point. The cast is stellar. The script needed more.
- Plexxor the Pretty GoodMarch 24, 2026It's a pretty good netflix movie or whatever but it's really kind of a hangout with powell (he's seems like a pretty cool, brewskie guy). Some good takeaways...embrace the small life, find satisfaction in your own life...ultra rare tenet these days...maybe that's the whole story here...
- pah553April 26, 2026Starts well, and keeps you engaged. Glen Powell proves once again why he’s a leading man, bringing a perfect blend of charm and desperation to the role of Becket. The premise is clever, and the tension builds effectively—I actually found myself rooting for the "bad guy" to pull it off. However, the film stumbles right at the finish line. After such a high-stakes buildup, the film is marred by a weak, deflated ending. A real shame.
How to Make a Killing Trivia
How to Make a Killing was released on February 20, 2026.
How to Make a Killing was directed by John Patton Ford.
How to Make a Killing has a runtime of 1h 45m.
How to Make a Killing was produced by Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin.
Disowned by his obscenely wealthy family, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way in this irreverent thriller about how far a person will go for revenge.
The key characters in How to Make a Killing are Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell), Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), Ruth (Jessica Henwick).
How to Make a Killing is rated R.
How to Make a Killing is a Comedy, Drama, Thriller film.
How to Make a Killing has an audience rating of 7.7 out of 10.
How to Make a Killing had a budget of $15M.
How to Make a Killing has made $20.6M at the box office.