How To Make A Killing – Movie Review
On his rise to A-list movie stardom with smash-hits like Top Gun: Maverick under his belt, it’s still great to see the ever charming Glen Powell balance out those blockbuster projects with some more edgy, lower-budget, character driven pieces. And in How To Make A Killing, Powell gets to weaponise his movie star charm, incredible likeability, and penchant for a slightly twisted tale for a wickedly fun time at the cinema.
Loosely inspired by the 1949 British dark comedy Kind Hears and Coronets, writer and director John Patton Ford follows up his debut feature Emily The Criminal with the story of Becket Redfellow (Powell), who we find at the beginning of the film on death row, conversing with a priest just hours before his scheduled execution about how he got in this position, and why he did it.
So, what did Becket do? Well, he murdered the estranged members of the wealthy family that he and his mother were excommunicated from by mysterious and reclusive patriarch Whitelaw Redfellow (Ed Harris) so he could have a shot at claiming their multi-billion dollar fortune. As Becket tells his story, his own moral conflicts play on his conscience as he weaves the tale together, one of love-driven revenge and blue-collar pride, featuring a cast of wild and wacky characters.
Harkening back to a style of filmmaking that feels resonate with the 1940s, Ford directs How To Make A Killing with this sweeping camera work, Hollywood stage musical lighting, and using digital filters to give it a filmic look, that altogether looks fantastic and feels like old Hollywood. And the visual aesthetic plays incredibly well in tandem with the tone of the film, which feels a little rapscallion. It’s a murder story, but it’s one where you can’t help but find a little bit of fun and humour within the darkness. Some of the elaborate and insane ways Becket commits his crimes are genuinely laugh out loud funny, but still hold this harsh brutality that is equally shocking as it is humorous.
Ford’s script, Powell’s performance, and some of the wild side characters really exacerbate that darkly funny tone. Ford challenges the audience to feel morally conflicted about Becket’s actions. He shouldn’t resort to murder, but in his position, it feels like his only choice. But when the titular killing begins, Ford injects so much humour into it that it becomes entertaining. Then with the eccentric Redfellow family as the victims, with the standouts being Zach Woods’ insufferable hipster photographer and Topher Grace’s morally corrupt megachurch leader, it makes it quite easy to root for Becket’s actions, and have some great laughs along the way.
The heart of the film lies within Becket’s admiration for his now-deceased mother. It’s that love for her that initially fuels his mission. But Becket’s likeability and humanity also is found in this growing relationship he shares with Ruth (Jessica Henwick), who very much finds interesting and emotionally complex ways to ground Becket throughout the film. The chemistry between Powell and Henwick is very sweet and naturally authentic.
How To Make A Killing is the exact sort of project audiences want to see someone with the star power of Glen Powell doing. It’s a character driven story that manages to both have fun with it’s wild premise, and have fun playing around with audience morale and expectation.
Project Hail Mary is in Australian cinemas March 5
