What do you do if your mother is the rightful heiress to billions, but you were raised in a cramped backroom behind a grocery store because an aristocratic grandfather rejected her youthful romance? In a civilized society, the standard response is to head to court. However, Beckett Redfellow, the protagonist of the film 'How to Make a Killing,' decides that legal fees are too high and life is far too short. As it happens, life turns out to be particularly short for his many relatives.
Director John Patton Ford has delivered a surprisingly biting satire on the American dream and the class system. A classic tale of a bastard’s revenge unfolds as Glen Powell, sporting an unwavering Hollywood grin, begins taking inventory of his family tree. At stake are $28 billion and a sprawling family estate in the New York suburbs. Can we really empathize with a character who settles property disputes through natural selection? The film structures its narrative so effectively that the audience inadvertently finds themselves rooting for this enterprising liquidator.
The film’s irony lies in the fact that Beckett’s victims—spoiled socialites, hypocritical pastors, and pretentious artists—elicit far less sympathy than the cold-blooded killer himself.
The pairing of Powell and Margaret Qualley maintains a tightrope balance between a crime thriller and an absurdist comedy. While Beckett devises sophisticated ways to eliminate his rivals, his childhood friend Julia pragmatically tallies the future dividends. Luxury here is stripped of its glossy romanticism; massive mansions look like mausoleums, and family ties snap at the first mention of a will.
The movie serves as a modern remake of the cult 1949 British black comedy 'Kind Hearts and Coronets.' This project from director John Patton Ford and A24 is both tangible and highly relevant to today's media landscape.
Ultimately, 'How to Make a Killing' revives the long-lost spirit of classic dark humor, where entertainment masks a serious dialogue about the nature of greed. How far will a person go when society measures their worth solely by their bank balance? The film offers no moralizing answers, instead inviting us to watch the facade of class privilege crumble under the weight of pure, unadulterated proletarian audacity.
