Glen Powell totally nails the charm factor, even when he is stepping into the shoes of a character who is not exactly a saint. In How to Make a Killing, Powell is so charismatic that you cannot help but cheer for his character as he navigates a series of murders, despite the fact his victims are more inconvenient than villainous.
Powell’s Becket Redfellow is a decent guy who, by virtue of his bloodlines, should have been raised in the lap of luxury. Instead, his mom chose love over wealth, leaving the cushy world of a NY mansion packed with servants for a cozy little place in New Jersey. After a heartbreaking turn of events, Becket’s left orphaned, but he’s got the silver lining of knowing that he’s still in line to inherit the Redfellow fortune. And that dangling possibility of unimaginable wealth drives Becket to take aim at the relatives ahead of him.
How to Make a Killing isn’t a whodunit. Becket “done it” and in fact, he’s already on death row when the film begins. With just four hours left before his execution, Becket chats with a priest, casually walking him (and the audience) through the wild series of events that led to him offing each of his relatives.
Writer-director John Patton Ford brought together a stellar cast, surrounding Powell with a talented ensemble to play Becket’s victims. Becket needs to knock off six entitled relatives on his way to the ultimate murder of the slimy family patriarch, played with a diabolic twinkle in his eye by Ed Harris. Ford’s script doesn’t linger long on any particular victim, with the exception of one who serves not only as a steppingstone toward the family fortune but also as the catalyst for finding Becket’s perfect match.
Becket’s relatives are a mix of obnoxious narcissists (played by Raff Law, Topher Grace, and Bianca Amato), an Elon Musk-type tech bro (Alexander Hanson), a pretentious artist (Zach Woods), and a remarkably decent man (Bill Camp) who is truly sorry for how Becket’s mom was treated by the family. However, it’s two women outside the family who mostly occupy Becket’s attention.
Becket grew up learning skills that would be helpful among the ultra-rich who shunned his mom. Mary (Nell Williams) put her son through classes that most kids of his socioeconomic background had no need for, aware that these talents would be necessary to navigate the upper echelons of the country club elite. The classes paid off in an unexpected way, with the young Becket making a connection with Julia. They reconnect as adults, and their complex relationship plays a pivotal role in just about everything Becket does.
Margaret Qualley plays Julia as a snake wrapped in gorgeous skin, a femme fatale who knows how and when to pull Becket’s strings. He’s not exactly her puppet, but he’s definitely puppet-adjacent.
The other woman is Ruth, the polar opposite of Julia in every conceivable way. Ruth, played by Jessica Henwick, is sweet and kind and couldn’t care less about the Redfellow family fortune. Those opposing forces represent the angel (Ruth) and the devil (Julia) sitting on Becket’s shoulders. Henwick and Qualley have decent chemistry with Powell on screen, but it’s not like a sparks-flying, can’t-live-without type of connection with either one. Still, it’s not hard to accept that Becket would be attracted to both Ruth and Julia for very different reasons.
How to Make a Killing‘s theatrical release couldn’t be better timed. Given the current news cycle, the uber-rich are incredibly unpopular with the public. It’s delicious to watch Becket take down people who believe they’re superior and untouchable because of their money. How to Make a Killing gives us permission to root for a character who crosses a line we can’t.
This darkly humorous thriller serves as an entertaining revenge tale, with Becket working his way through the family that dropkicked his mom to the curb. Becket believes money will make him happy and complete, and because that brass ring is just out of reach, he’s never satisfied with what he has. That unwavering focus is thanks to his mom’s mantra that he shouldn’t give up on what’s rightfully his. Well, that and the fact his moral compass isn’t just broken; it’s smashed to smithereens.
The murders are a little too simple, the FBI is portrayed as fairly inept (which fits with the 2026 release), and the final act feels rushed and a little too contrived. Yet, Powell powers through it all. How to Make a Killing is a fun enough diversion from reality, thanks to his performance. And right now, any distraction is welcome.
GRADE: B-
Rated: R for language and some violence/bloody images
Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Studio: A24
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