‘How to Make a Killing’ review: A hollow bank account

Entertaining performances by Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley aren’t enough to get fully invested in the surface-level plot of How to Make a Killing.

The quest for power and riches is a tale as old as movie time. Everything is on the table when our would-be protagonist decides they want – or more accurately, deserve – to get all the money. How to Make a Killing, written and directed by John Patton Ford, is the latest dark comedy spotlighting an outsider ready to mess things up.

Revenge and murder are on the menu for this tale of elite money woes. However, don’t expect to discover a deeper meaning beneath the story’s surface. How to Make a Killing treads a familiar path; one that is an enjoyable time, but one that has been executed more strongly in other TV and film projects.

In How to Make a Killing, our ambitious outsider is Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell). Becket is related to an elite old-money billionaire family, the Redfellows. After his mother is disowned, Becket grows up away from the family with no connection or help. Struggling with average life, Becket starts plotting to kill his extended family and become the sole heir. Rounding out the cast includes Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), Becket’s childhood crush, his new love interest Ruth (Jessica Henwick), and the eccentric Redfellows he meets along the way.

A man on a mission.

Think of How to Make a Killing as a lighter fare of the family will and rich people tropes. Becket is ambitious like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, but he’s nowhere near as psychotic or deep. Becket, by contrast, is more of a lovable underdog; a “nice guy” with a chip on his shoulder from life’s tough hand. But in actuality, he justifies every decision in pursuit of the life he wants. We learn the most about his motivations through his inner narration, the reasons why he hates the Redfellows. Even then, he feels like a flat character, an archetype of a role that Powell plays many times over. It’s a performance he does well, and his natural charisma adds heart to a character that isn’t fully on the screen.

This issue is a consistent one that spreads throughout How to Make a Killing. The film doesn’t attempt, or more likely wants, to be deeper than its surface-level plot. We’re here to see Becket enact revenge, and even then, he’s not basking in the fun. Becket, as a character, has a very matter-of-fact attitude towards everything. Each murder goes from Point A to Point B, capturing the steps it takes to get there. Sure, his detached nature could be him separating himself from his murders – a justification to make killing easier. But as the pacing develops, it’s apparent that this stems from him not being a fully fleshed-out character.

Besides his mission to get rich, who is Becket? Everything about him relates to the Redfellows, his mother’s training, or his crush on Julia. There’s no sense of his personality or life outside his goal. Does he even have friends?! This is a man on a mission, and How to Make a Killing only cares about this one side of him.

For love or money.

The same can be said about the supporting cast, too. Qualley and Henwick serve as the next two biggest roles in the film. Unfortunately, the plot doesn’t give them much to do. How to Make a Killing anchors everything through Becket’s POV, including interactions with the people in his life. Since he’s not a fully developed character, we’re treated to the same restrictions, losing their nuances along the way.

Henwick’s Ruth experiences Becket’s rise to power, coming across more as a passenger in this tale rather than an important character. Her discussion of passion and career serves as a strong moral comparison to balance Becket’s blind ambition. However, the film doesn’t push itself further to emphasize this chilling forewarning. For Ruth, its subtlety gets lost in everything else. How to Make a Killing doesn’t treat us to the full layers of her personality. She’s, unfortunately, relegated to the archetype of Becket’s love interest.

Qualley’s Julia, on the other hand, has a stronger foundation to work with. She’s the Eve from All About Eve – the thorn in Becket’s side that spices up his plan. Julia’s turn as the anti-hero/anti-villain provides the needed electricity to shake up the momentum. And Qualley is having the most fun along the way; it’s the kind of cold, antagonistic role that’s out for themselves. Yet, similarly to Ruth, there isn’t much in the film to flesh out this character. Julia is important to Becket’s pacing, but it’s thanks to Qualley, who makes the most of what’s available, adding a flair of fun to this stoic role.

A selection of targets.

In a dark comedy like How to Make a Killing, it’s the fun that adds extra weight to the festivities. As mentioned above, the film has a good time; it emphasizes the murders as its big moments of action and mayhem. However, Becket’s methodical mindset makes the pacing feel like we’re checking items off a list. It gives an assumption of murders, so that we rush through them rather than enjoying the ride. And with a mix of flat, archetypal characters as the targets, we don’t experience the full weight of these killings.

Think of similar films like 2011’s You’re Next, and 2019’s Ready or Not, or TV shows like Revenge and Dexter. These narratives flesh out the protagonist’s targets, thankfully building a connection with who they are and why they’re being punished. Here, Beckett doesn’t have one negative reason or another – this is a job to him. A motivation that blankets everything and everyone, including people who don’t know of his existence.

In some cases, the death scenes build toward a fun conclusion, capturing Becket’s growth as a killer. However, mostly it’s a quick murder scene that doesn’t reinvent the wheel. A plot checkpoint in the film progresses because people need to be knocked off the family tree.

The bottom line.

How to Make a Killing is a decent story of deadly ambition and wealthy chaos. Powell, Qualley, and the cast make the most of their characters, adding fun and heart to the plot where they can. The death scenes add needed spice to the plot, but there’s nothing truly exciting in a grand set piece. Besides, the grand climax (no spoilers!).

Both the characters and the plot stay surface-level. The film doesn’t flesh out the story, instead it chooses to stay a safe, familiar narrative. You’ll enjoy yourself with How to Make a Killing, but just like Becket and Julia, you’ll feel a sense that there could’ve been more awaiting you.

How to Make a Killing is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of A24. Read more articles by Justin Carreiro here.