HOW TO MAKE A KILLING Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: John Patton Ford
Stars: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Bill Camp, Topher Grace, Zach Woods, Jessica Henwick, Raff Law, Adrian Lukis, Nell Williams, Sean Cameron Michael, James Frecheville, Grady Wilson, Maggie Toomey,
In How To Make A Killing, a man kills off several obnoxious and wealthy relatives in order to secure a billion-dollar inheritance. We meet Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) who is on death row, only hours before his execution. He is visited by the priest Father Morris (Adrian Lukis) and calmly recounts the story of how he ended up in prison.
His single mother Mary (Nell Williams) was disowned by her obscenely wealthy family, and forced to raise young Becket on her own, holding down menial jobs to make ends meet. After his mother dies Becket learns that, due to a loophole, he is still entitled to an inheritance due to the fortune being held in a trust. All he has to do is outlive several other cousins before he can claim the family fortune.
While working as a salesman in a clothing store Becket reconnects with his former childhood friend Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley) who is now a wealthy woman having married Lyle (James Frecheville), a stockbroker. Taking a hint from Julia seriously he sets out to kill all of his cousins. Several of his cousins are fairly awful people in their own right, notably avante garde artist Noah (Zach Woods, from Silicon Valley, etc) and morally suspect preacher Steven J Redfellow (Topher Grace, from That 70s Show, etc). However, the kindly uncle Warren (Bill Camp) takes an interest in Becket and gives him a job at his brokerage firm, giving him an opportunity to work his way up in the world of finance.
Even though he falls under suspicion by the FBI, Becket claims ignorance of the inheritance. But a developing romance with Julia (Jessica Henwick), Noah’s former girlfriend, has Becket briefly reconsidering his mission.
After having disposed of several of his cousins (one of whom actually dies of a heart attack), there is only one Redwood left – his powerful and wealthy but reclusive grandfather Whitelaw (Ed Harris), which sets up the climactic confrontation between the two.
How to Make A Killing is a loose remake of the classic 1949 Ealing comedy Kind Hearts And Coronets in which Alec Guinness notably played the eight roles of the victims of the killing spree. This stylish looking black comedy is the sophomore film for writer and director John Patton Ford, who previously gave us the critically acclaimed Emily The Criminal in 2022. Ford taps into the themes of greed, revenge and retribution, class, and family for some dark humour, but his previous film had an edgy quality that is sadly missing here. He reworks the original concept and gives it a contemporary sensibility rather than try to slavishly replicate the original. Ford also eschews overt displays of violence and a couple of the deaths are played for laughs.
Powell brings his usual effortless charm to the role of the likeable Becket, and he seems much more comfortable with his light comedic role here than he did in the recent remake of The Running Man. Qualley brings a steely quality and a mischievous edge to her role as the film’s ruthless and manipulative femme fatale. Harris is given little to do in a fairly thankless role as the cruel family patriarch, but he still has a commanding presence.
The film looks good though thanks to the fine cinematography from Todd Banhazi and the gorgeous production design from Christian Huband, who creates the lavish interior of the Redfellow mansion. Emile Mosseri provides an appropriately jaunty sounding score.
But despite its intriguing central premise, the film is not as funny or as fast paced as it could have been as Ford seems to pull his punches at key moments.
★★☆
