How to Make a Killing

Directed and written by John Patton Ford, How to Make a Killing (originally developed under the working title Huntington) is an Americanized, modern-day dark comedy thriller loosely inspired by Robert Hamer's 1949 British Ealing classic Kind Hearts and Coronets and Roy Horniman’s 1907 satirical novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal.

The story centers on Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell), the disowned, illegitimate scion of an obscenely wealthy Long Island dynasty. Exiled since birth after his mother was banished in disgrace, Becket is raised in working-class New Jersey, painfully conscious of the vast fortune flowing into the hands of his estranged, insufferable relatives. When Becket reconnects with his ambitious childhood associate Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), he resolves to reclaim what he believes is his birthright.

Becket hatches a calculated plot to systematically eliminate all seven heirs standing between him and the multi-billion-dollar Redfellow estate. Moving from Wall Street yachts to hipster Bushwick art lofts and megachurch vestries, Becket adopts tailored personas to target his eccentric family members, setting off a chaotic spiral of greed, class resentment, and deception.

Writer-director John Patton Ford uses the mechanics of a high-society murder spree to dissect the pathology of American meritocracy and generational wealth. The film argues that modern capitalism conflates moral worth with financial entitlement: Becket believes his violent crimes are not merely transactional, but a justified moral rebalancing against incompetent "nepo-babies".

Rather than framing Becket as a working-class champion, Ford demonstrates that the outsider desperate to breach the upper class often harbors the exact same soulless, transactional narcissism as those within it. The ultimate meaning underscores how generational dynasties poison both the insiders who coast on unearned privilege and the castaways obsessed with reclaiming it.

The "Pure Sociopath" Reading: Becket never cared about his mother's honor or justice; the outcast narrative is merely a convenient myth he tells himself and his confessor to mask cold, narcissistic greed.The Systemic Determinism Reading: Becket was doomed the moment he was disowned. His mother instilled aristocratic expectations without the means to fulfill them, creating a psychological trap wher...

Released in early 2026, How to Make a Killing joined the modern wave of "Eat the Rich" cinematic satires popularized by Parasite, Saltburn, The Menu, and Triangle of Sadness. Coming at a time of widespread public discourse over billionaire wealth gaps and "nepo-baby" cultural saturation, the film sought to explore the American aristocracy through a contemporary lens.

While it capitalized on Glen Powell's post-Top Gun: Maverick and Hit Man box-office momentum, reception was polarizing. Critics noted that while its comedic setup was sharp, the film struggled to achieve the biting satire of its British predecessor.

Reviewers commended Glen Powell’s charismatic lead performance, Todd Banhazl’s crisp cinematography, and the darkly comedic vignettes featuring character actors like Topher Grace, Bill Camp, and Zach Woods.

However, multiple major critics felt the film was too tame and episodic compared to Kind Hearts and Coronets or modern thrillers like The Menu, arguing that Becket's revenge lacked emotional weight or escalating narrative stakes. The cynical, abrupt final act divided audiences—some viewed the framing device as clever irony, while others found it rushed and unearned.

Overall, it was received as a stylish, mildly diverting black comedy that coasts on the wattage of its star cast, even if its social commentary lacks razor sharpness.