Glen Powell turns greed and murder into a slick, darkly funny thrill ride.
What if climbing the social ladder meant… eliminating the competition? That’s basically the pitch of How to Make a Killing, and yeah, it’s as wild as it sounds.
This isn’t your typical slick thriller. It’s rich-people satire with a body count — and Glen Powell is having way too much fun playing the guy holding the match.
Old-School Classic, New-School Chaos
The movie is a loose remix of the 1949 British classic Kind Hearts and Coronets, where one ambitious man bumps off his aristocratic relatives to secure a fortune.
But don’t worry if you’ve never seen that black-and-white gem. Director John Patton Ford (who previously gave us the gritty Emily the Criminal) cranks this version into full-blown Wall Street nightmare mode.
Less tea-and-crumpets murder. More hedge-fund bro homicide.
Glen Powell in Villain Mode? Yes, Please.
Powell plays Becket Redfellow, the black sheep of a disgustingly rich dynasty. Raised broke in New Jersey while his cousins grew up dripping in generational wealth, Becket decides he’s done being polite.
So what does he do?
He starts picking off the seven relatives standing between him and the family fortune.
Cold? Absolutely.
Entertaining? Also yes.
Powell’s secret weapon is charm. He’s slick, fast-talking, and always calculating. If you loved him playing cat-and-mouse in Hit Man, this feels like the evil cousin of that performance. He’s got that Tom Cruise-level confidence, but with a smirk that says, “Yeah, I know I’m getting away with this.”
And honestly? You kinda root for him. That’s the uncomfortable magic trick here.
Margaret Qualley Steals Every Scene
Just when you think Powell owns the movie, Margaret Qualley shows up and flips the energy.
She plays Julia, Becket’s morally flexible childhood love, with a kind of glam, money-hungry chaos that feels dangerously modern. She’s not pretending to be sweet. She wants power, status, the whole luxury-package deal — and she owns it.
Every time she walks into frame, the movie gets sharper. Meaner. Better.
Eat the Rich… Or Join Them?
This movie clearly has something to say about greed culture. Old money. Corrupt pastors. Finance bros who deserve to be meme’d into oblivion.
There’s even a shady megachurch pastor played by Topher Grace and a crusty patriarch oozing entitlement courtesy of Ed Harris.
It’s basically Succession with more funerals.
But here’s my hot take: the satire doesn’t always cut deep enough. The movie wants to be biting, but sometimes it feels like it’s winking instead of stabbing. In a world where shows like Dexter and Succession already made us weirdly comfortable with morally messy leads, this doesn’t shock the system.
Still… it’s a fun ride.
The Verdict: Messy, Morbid, and Watchable
At 105 minutes and rated R, this A24-backed thriller doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s glossy. It’s twisted. It’s got enough dark humor to keep you grinning even while someone’s getting blown up in a darkroom.
Is it a new classic like Kind Hearts and Coronets? Probably not.
But does Glen Powell carry the whole chaotic thing on his perfectly tailored shoulders?
Absolutely.
And in 2026, that might be enough.
Question for you: Are you down for morally shady protagonists if they’re charming enough — or are we officially tired of rooting for rich psychopaths? Let’s talk.
