How to Make a Killing, which is loosely based on the 1949 British film Kind Hearts and Coronets, represents John Patton Ford's (Emily the Criminal) entry into one of this decade's most densely packed cinematic corners. While this film about New Jersey-based suit salesman Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) embarking on a mission to kill off his relatives in order to gain access to the hefty trust he's written into through his late mother (Nell Williams)-whose father (Ed Harris) cut her off after he she became pregnant with him at 19- after losing his job to his boss' son who just dropped out of college isn't overly scathing or clever in its takedown of the ultra-rich, it still manages to be an absorbing watch. Powell does a good job of weaponizing his signature magnetism to play a genuinely nice guy who slowly gets corrupted by his relentless pursuit of obtaining more wealth despite having a perfectly fine life before he started offing his estranged relatives, the terrific supporting cast (Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Harris, Zach Woods, Topher Grace) all give spirited performances that help shape Becket's ugly journey up the financial ladder and the ending wraps things up in a nice feel bad bow that communicates its messaging surrounding the moral rot that tends to come with obscene wealth better than anything else that precedes it. While I do think Patton Ford's filmmaking skill set is better suited for scuzzy, tense crime thrillers than the lightly satirical dark comedy that's on display here (case in point: the couple of sequences in the final act where he digs back into the pulse-pounding intensity that drove Emily the Criminal). this is still a very solid sophomore feature that has only further instilled my confidence in his future in the industry.
Grade: B
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