How to Make a Killing: Honest Review — Is It Worth Watching? | 7.1/10
How to Make a Killing is a wickedly fun romp that knows exactly what it is: a snappy dark comedy thriller about murdering your relatives for cash, and it never pretends to be anything deeper than that. Glen Powell anchors the chaos with genuine charm, making you root for a protagonist who should absolutely not be rooted for, and that tonal tightrope is where the film earns its stripes.
| Director | John Patton Ford |
| Cast | Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods |
| Runtime | 105 minutes |
| Genre | Comedy, Thriller |
| Year | 2026 |
The plot (no spoilers)
How to Make a Killing centers on Becket Redfellow, a working-class guy who got the short end of the genetic lottery stick when his obscenely wealthy family disowned him at birth—a fact he doesn’t let slide quietly into the night. When he discovers there’s a $28 billion inheritance with his name on it, suddenly those seven family members standing between him and his payday become very inconvenient obstacles to his newfound ambitions. The setup is deliciously cynical, and the film leans into that cynicism with both hands.
The tone here is pitch-black comedy meets caper thriller, which means you’re watching someone systematically think through how to eliminate his relatives without getting caught, except it’s funny because nobody’s hands are clean and everyone’s incompetent in their own special way. Ford’s direction keeps things brisk and never lets the audience get comfortable with moral judgment—which is either refreshingly honest or wildly irresponsible depending on your threshold for gallows humor.
Acting & direction
Glen Powell is the engine here, and he understands the assignment perfectly: charming enough that you forget he’s discussing fratricide over coffee, but grounded enough that his desperation feels real underneath the flirtation. Margaret Qualley brings a feral intelligence to her scenes, Jessica Henwick steals every moment she touches, and Zach Woods delivers comedy that lands harder because his character is so genuinely pathetic. Bill Camp looms ominously in the background, the only actor who seems to understand he’s in a different, darker film than everyone else.
John Patton Ford shoots this thing with the energy of a guy who watched Succession and decided to weaponize that dysfunctional family dynamic into a heist film. The cinematography is clean and bright—which makes the dark implications feel even darker—and the pacing rarely drags despite the 105-minute runtime. The score pulses along without ever overstating the joke, which requires restraint that Ford demonstrates throughout.
The strengths
- Glen Powell proves he can carry a morally compromised protagonist without the script needing to redeem him by the third act.
- The script finds genuine laughs in the logistics of murder, which is harder to pull off than it sounds, and the film nails that balance between funny and stomach-turning.
- Nobody in this film is sympathetic, and the movie doesn’t waste time pretending otherwise, which is weirdly liberating as a viewer.
- The ensemble cast elevates material that could’ve been twee or self-satisfied into something that feels genuinely lived-in and specific.
The weaknesses
- The third act runs out of steam once the body count reaches a certain threshold and the film realizes it’s painted itself into a corner regarding actual consequences.
- Some of the family members feel like sketch characters rather than fully realized obstacles, which means certain murder sequences lack the weight they’re aiming for.
- The romantic subplot between Powell and Qualley undercuts the film’s misanthropic edge and feels like a concession to audience comfort.
Who should watch it
If you loved the absurdist chaos of Killing Eve, the corporate nihilism of Succession, or the dark comedy timing of In Bruges, this film was made for you. You’re the type of viewer who appreciates when filmmakers refuse to apologize for their premise, who wants to watch smart people make stupid moral choices, and who won’t need the ending to tell you whether you’re supposed to feel good about what you’ve watched. This is not for people who need their protagonists to learn lessons.
Final verdict
How to Make a Killing is a lean, mean piece of entertainment that doesn’t overstay its welcome and never breaks character—even when that character is actively planning homicide with the casual confidence of someone ordering a sandwich. It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s not trying to be, which is exactly why it works as well as it does. At 7.1/10, this is the kind of film that’ll make you laugh out loud in a theater and then feel mildly disgusted with yourself, which is honestly the best compliment I can give it.
FAQ
Is How to Make a Killing actually funny or just edgy?
It’s genuinely funny—the humor comes from character incompetence and escalating absurdity, not from shock value alone. The script lands legitimate laughs while maintaining the dark premise.
Does Glen Powell’s character win or face consequences?
Without spoiling it, the film plays fast and loose with consequences in ways that’ll either delight or frustrate you depending on your tolerance for amoral comeuppance.
How similar is this to other dark comedy thrillers?
It occupies space between Killing Eve‘s obsessive dynamic and Succession‘s family dysfunction, but carves out its own tonal identity rather than aping either.
Is the 105-minute runtime justified or does it drag?
The pacing is tight and rarely wastes a scene; the runtime feels right for what the film is trying to accomplish without artificial extension.
Should I watch this with subtitles even in English?
Absolutely—there’s rapid-fire dialogue and comedic timing that subtitles will enhance, plus some quieter character moments you won’t want to miss.
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