Review: How to Make a Killing Is Fun, But Does It Have Bite?

Inspired by the 1949 British classic Kind Hearts and Coronets, How To Make A Killing follows Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell), a blue-collar outsider who was disowned at birth by his ultra-wealthy family. A long list of relatives stands between him and a $28 billion inheritance, and Becket’s solution is simple and deadly.

Part dark comedy, part crime thriller, the film doesn’t always hit the razor-sharp satire it aims for, but with a stacked cast, it’s hard not to be entertained for its brisk 1 hour and 45 minute runtime.

The premise promises social commentary and twisted dark humour, and at its best, the film delivers that. The pacing rarely drags, each family “accident” is wicked, and the laughs land more often than they miss. There’s a confidence to the way director John Patton Ford keeps the action and story moving forward, even when his script hesitates to do so. The film understands momentum, but doesn’t always trust its own bite.

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