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How to Make a Killing
A slick black comedy where gleaming Manhattan penthouses and sun-drenched yachts become slaughterhouses of vanity, capturing the hollow triumph of a disowned heir suffocating under the golden weight of his own monstrous ambition.
How to Make a Killing
How to Make a Killing

"$28 billion inheritance. 7 relatives standing in the way."

16 February 2026 United Kingdom 105 min 7.0 (692)

Director: John Patton Ford

Cast: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods

Thriller Comedy The Illusion of Meritocracy & Nepotism Class Resentment and the "Eat-the-Rich" Fantasy Identity, Performance, and Chameleon Ambition The Moral Corrosiveness of Entitlement Generational Sins and Dynastic Decay
Budget: $15,000,000
Box Office: $21,598,574

How to Make a Killing — Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Becket Redfellow

Glen Powell

Archetype: Ruthless Anti-Hero / Chameleon Key Trait: Smoldering, sociopathic charisma.

Motivation

Reclaiming his disinherited family fortune ($18–$28B).

Character Arc

Starts as a bitter outsider; becomes an unfeeling, methodical killer consumed by hubris.

Julia Steinway

Margaret Qualley

Archetype: Femme Fatale / Manipulator Key Trait: Cunning, enigmatic opportunism.

Motivation

Gaining leverage and access to high-society power.

Character Arc

Re-enters Becket’s life as a muse of destruction, matching his ambition step-for-step.

Pastor Steven Redfellow

Topher Grace

Archetype: Hypocritical Charlatan Key Trait: Smug, media-trained sanctimony.

Motivation

Protecting his televangelist empire and brand.

Character Arc

Appears pious before congregation; unmasked as a greedy opportunist before meeting his fate.

Whitlow Redfellow

Ed Harris

Archetype: Tyrannical Patriarch Key Trait: Cold, unforgiving elitism.

Motivation

Preserving dynastic control and bloodline purity.

Character Arc

Reclines as the untouchable "final boss" until forced to face the legacy of his cruelty.

Ruth

Jessica Henwick

Archetype: Skeptical Insider / Counterweight Key Trait: Sharp-witted and observant.

Motivation

Surviving the family's internal toxic rivalries.

Character Arc

Navigates the family madness with sharp awareness, complicating Becket's plans.

Cast

Glen Powell as Becket Redfellow
Margaret Qualley as Julia
Jessica Henwick as Ruth
Bill Camp as Warren Redfellow
Zach Woods as Noah Redfellow
Topher Grace as Steven Redfellow
Ed Harris as Whitelaw Redfellow
Raff Law as Taylor Redfellow
Nell Williams as Mary Redfellow
Alexander Hanson as McArthur Redfellow
James Frecheville as Lyle
Adrian Lukis as Father Morris
Damien Wantenaar as Cellist
Sean Cameron Michael as Butler
Grady Wilson as Young Becket

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Ending Explained

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