How to Make a Killing — Review
Source: A24
As “eat the rich” movies have surged in popularity in recent years, it was only a matter of time before Robert Hamer’s 1949 black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets was reimagined for a new generation. It’s fitting that the remake, How to Make a Killing, was directed by John Patton Ford, since his previous film, Emily the Criminal (2022), also follows a protagonist who turns to crime out of financial desperation. However, the nature of the crimes differs significantly. Between How to Make a Killing and last year’s The Running Man, Glen Powell proves he’s the perfect star to put at the helm of these anti-capitalist vehicles, because much like in that film, his charm does a lot of the heavy lifting here. How to Make a Killing is a scrappy, modernized retelling of Kind Hearts and Coronets that coasts on Powell’s charisma.
Source: A24
Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, whose mother was disowned by her wealthy family. Yet, the blue-collar Becket is still technically an heir to the Redfellow family fortune. On her deathbed, his mother made him promise that he wouldn’t give up until he got the life he deserved. Thus, he decides to eliminate the family members who stand between him and his inheritance. Unfortunately, the film arrives on the heels of last year’s No Other Choice, which follows a strikingly similar premise of a financially desperate man literally eliminating his competition one by one. It also doesn’t help that No Other Choice was more successful at nailing the darkly comedic tone that How to Make a Killing is striving for. Nonetheless, Powell’s magnetism makes the film thoroughly engaging and enjoyable to watch.
Source: A24
John Patton Ford’s screenplay excels at modernizing the story while preserving its narrative framework. However, as Becket’s schemes spiral out of control and his life becomes messier, so does the film itself. The third act is its most cumbersome; it’s also where it deviates the most from the source material and where the film is ultimately at its weakest. What holds How to Make a Killing back from being on par with Kind Hearts and Coronets is its tone. John Patton Ford’s iteration skews more toward the thriller genre than a black comedy. While it still delivers plenty of laughs, it isn’t nearly as riotous or farcical. For viewers unfamiliar with Kind Hearts and Coronets, however, How to Make a Killing will provide plenty of surprises and some wicked moments of irony.
The script also introduces a myriad of fascinating characters, particularly the various members of the sprawling Redfellow family tree. Each relative is drawn with a distinct, almost larger-than-life personality without ever feeling too much like a parody or a caricature. As spoiled and ridiculous as they may be, they still feel authentic. Their outrageous sense of entitlement is as funny as it is infuriating, and their collective unlikability makes it easy to continue rooting for Becket.
Source: A24
Margaret Qualley co-stars as Julia Steinway, Becket’s childhood friend who feels like the quintessential femme fatale. The film even includes a few homages to some classic erotic thrillers, most notably when she dons an all-white getup reminiscent of Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992). Sadly, the film never reaches the same heights as such films, so it feels like more of a tease. The character feels underutilized, and the ideas surrounding her feel half-baked, as though they never fully come to fruition.
Cinematographer Todd Banhazl adopts a surprisingly restrained visual approach, especially compared to his vibrant work on Hustlers (2019). The film could have benefited from a more edgy or stylized aesthetic. By contrast, Emile Mosseri’s score stands out as one of the production’s strongest elements. The music beautifully complements the film’s tone and heightens the darkly playful atmosphere.
Source: A24
In the end, How to Make a Killing makes for a fun addition to the “eat the rich” canon, even if it never quite matches the wit and wicked humor of Kind Hearts and Coronets. While it may not be as sharp or subversive, John Patton Ford succeeds in modernizing the story and, in the process, populating it with an ensemble of offbeat characters. Glen Powell’s effortless charm makes even Becket’s most morally dubious choices perversely watchable, anchoring the film whenever its tone wavers. It may not become a classic like its predecessor, but it remains a darkly comic thriller that’s consistently entertaining from start to finish.
How to Make a Killing hits theaters on February 20, 2026.
