How to Make a Killing Movie Review

Glen Powell (Becket Redfellow) can make any role fit him, but I like him going super dark. It works. ​

Margaret Qualley (Julia), outside of looking like a little girl play acting in mommy’s clothes, is captivating as a spoiled rich brat who thinks Becket, a kid from the other side of the tracks, wants her. This becomes a game for her. She’s a little menace, very manipulative and warped. She’s a twisted kid and becomes a devious, controlling adult, something to like most about her character. He’s disowned by his family, but the fortune, if certain people die before him, is rightfully his.

The biggest issue I had with this is, when you meet the main players and what’s going on is revealed, the killer should be super obvious because there’s a family member who suddenly appears out of nowhere. People are dropping like flies EXCEPT for the uncle who hired him. Wouldn’t that be a red flag of some sort? But what really gives away that the killer is found is that, immediately, you see the killer sitting in a prison cell. Becket is speaking to a priest, telling us the story about how he came to be sitting where he is now. When he gets further and further into the story, diving deep into how he has met the perfect woman, has a good career, shouldn’t that be enough to make you stop? He says he can’t hit pause on what he’s doing because, not only is he having too much fun knowing he’s this good at something, but he has to make his grandpa pay for what he did to his mother, who just wanted a good life for her son.   

It’s an entertaining flick. The characters are very engaging, and the script surrounding the family members, who are around for only a short time, is intense and amusing. That said, the relationship with Julia isn’t believable. I get what they were going for, but some of this has rather lazy writing. It has its predictable moments, but it’s well set up. It’s too long, and it does have flaws. For an at-home watch, disregard all of that and see “How to Make a Killing” anyway. If you love this cast, do not miss it in the theater; they are all terrific! Glen Powell has yet to disappoint.