How to Make a Killing review: Glen Powell makes millions from murder in watchable but derivative thriller

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A star rating of 3 out of 5.

It’s a particularly dangerous time to play a wealthy character in a movie. Over the past seven years, films like Parasite, The Menu, Ready or Not, Triangle of Sadness, Knives Out, and Saltburn have all featured rich characters facing terrible fates, reflecting a growing trend in entertainment where audiences seem to enjoy seeing the wealthy fall from grace – a phenomenon often called the ‘eat the rich’ genre.

Glen Powell’s new thriller, How to Make a Killing, is a perfectly fine movie, but it doesn’t really break new ground. While it tries to feel current, it relies too heavily on a 1949 British film, preventing it from being truly original.

Directed by John Patton Ford, known for ‘Emily the Criminal,’ the movie begins with Becket Redfellow (Powell) eating his last meal while awaiting execution. In his final hours, he confesses to a prison priest how he systematically murdered family members to inherit a vast fortune. This story is a modern retelling of the classic British black comedy ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets,’ which originally starred Dennis Price and Alec Guinness.

Becket firmly believes that money does buy happiness. His perspective is shaped by a unique upbringing: his mother, a wealthy New Yorker, was disowned by her father after becoming pregnant with him as a teenager. Now, having learned he’s eighth in line to inherit a $28 billion fortune, Becket jokingly vows to eliminate some of his relatives – a line borrowed from the classic film, Kind Hearts and Coronets.

This movie is a breezy, funny 105 minutes that fully embraces the playful meaning of its title. We, as the audience, get to see how Becket comes up with and carries out his plans, all motivated by his desire for a comfortable life. Along the way, he comically eliminates a variety of relatives – uncles and cousins of all types – using things like yachts, a bow and arrow, photography equipment, and even teeth-whitening kits.

I was really intrigued to see Rafferty Law in the first role – it’s impossible not to notice the family resemblance to Jude Law, especially when you think of that iconic Talented Mr. Ripley look! It felt like perfect casting for the spoiled character he played. But honestly, Bill Camp and Zach Woods as Uncle Warren and Cousin Noah absolutely stole the show for me. They were the source of the film’s funniest and most genuinely enjoyable moments – those two were comedy gold!

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I was pretty surprised when this banker casually mentioned he’d gotten a bottle of whiskey from Dick Cheney – it felt like a weird flex as he started trying to help me out. The movie has some funny lines here and there, but it doesn’t really dig deep like the writer’s previous film, Emily the Criminal did. There’s this interesting tension with my character, Becket, where he seems to poke fun at inherited wealth, yet the movie also wants you to root for people with money – it’s a confusing mix that never really gets explained.

Becket’s world grows more complex as his body count increases, with the arrival of a girlfriend he genuinely cares for (played by Jessica Henwick) and a former lover who’s less captivating (Margaret Qualley). Glen Powell delivers a charming performance, but he embodies a more restrained, almost preppy, version of the character—reminiscent of Bruce Wayne rather than the unhinged Patrick Bateman. This is a bit disappointing considering how much fun he had playing multiple personas in Hit Man, a performance that, interestingly, recalled Alec Guinness’s diverse roles in Kind Hearts and Coronets.

By the time Ed Harris’s character appears and the shooting starts, the film has lost much of its energy. Becket points out it’s meant to be a tragedy, but the movie isn’t quite sure what kind of story it wants to tell. Ultimately, its similarities to Kind Hearts and Coronets feel ironic given the serious topic. How to Make a Killing doesn’t feel like a modern successor to that classic, but rather a struggling relative trying to find its own identity.

How to Make A Killing is released in UK cinemas on Friday 13 March 2026.

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Max CopemanApp Editor

Max Copeman is our App Editor, responsible for selecting and preparing all the mobile recommendations and watchlist content. He joined the team in 2021 and enjoys chatting about movies and football.

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2026-03-09 15:05