Warning: Spoilers ahead.
In A24’s newest thriller comedy, Glen Powell does not just chase the American dream but hunts for it.
Powell’s charm as Becket Redfellow in “How to Make a Killing” captures the audience from the opening scene of the new John Patton Ford picture – released Feb. 20 – and continues to hold them as Redfellow goes after each of his estranged relatives to inherit the family’s $28 billion fortune.
Opening the film in his jail cell, Redfellow tells a priest his final confession while awaiting the death penalty for what – at this point – viewers can only assume are the murders he committed. From that point on, Powell serves as the narrator, recalling the story of Redfellow’s family and his childhood.
Following the death of his beloved mother, Redfellow is left with two things – a lock of her hair and the knowledge that he could, one day, inherit the family fortune. Ford did a directorially solid job highlighting Redfellow’s motives throughout the story regarding the character’s upbringing. But, in a film with a 105-minute runtime, it felt like by the time the plot jumped to his killings, there was not nearly enough time to develop his bizarre family members.
Despite Redfellow’s hunger to live the life his mother wanted for him, the steps of the plot felt too easy from the start – conflicts resolved too cleanly and early missteps carried little weight. The seemingly rushed pacing was too accelerated for the rest of the film to catch up.
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The seven murders left more to be desired, as each relative was only briefly touched upon before their final breaths and concurrent funerals. With the consistent moral and religious undertones that Ford successfully touched upon – such as Redfellow confessing to the murders of seven relatives who symbolize the seven deadly sins – it would have been fulfilling to extract more from each relative’s short screen time.
For example, one of Redfellow’s cousins – an eccentric artist played by Zach Woods – had possibly the most comedic stretches of the film, though brief, and the same can be said about the origin story of Redfellow’s eventual wife, Ruth, played by Jessica Henwick. Woods’ comedic timing and satirical performance showed potential for the film’s dark sense of humor. Woods’ and Topher Grace’s performances as the corrupt, naive relatives were engaging and sharp for the time they had on screen, but their development, if furthered, would have been extremely beneficial for explaining the familial contexts that layered Redfellow’s motives.
These actors’ minimal screen times and underwhelming deaths added little resistance throughout the film and furthered the redundancy of knowing Redfellow would kill each relative with ease and simplicity. Instead of building suspense, the pattern became predictable, diminishing the impact of each subsequent death.
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For Redfellow’s wife, Ruth, she added to the moral conflict the protagonist grapples with throughout the story and even made him question his sinful quest for the inheritance – a strong aspect of the film’s plot. Even though the killings take center stage in the film, the internal conflict formed from Ruth’s love for Redfellow added more suspense than the deaths themselves. However, while there were instances in which Redfellow and Ruth’s marital hurdles and financial struggles come into play, especially in the later third of the film during their engagement party, the pacing still left themes of self greed, love and acceptance ignored or, at the very least, undervalued.
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Julia, played by Margaret Qualley, is the character whose purpose was most ambiguous. Yes, she may be Redfellow’s first love interest, and the sparks between Qualley and Powell are certainly present, but her singular off-handed comment, “call me when you kill them all,” that sparks his whole killing spree seemed too scripted to be believable. Furthermore, Julia’s inconsistent role felt forced and out of place in the times she appeared because of her underdeveloped personal storyline. Aside from the twist that reveals why Redfellow is awaiting execution, Julia’s shallow arc undermined the talent Qualley brought to the set. Compared to her other recent work in “Blue Moon,” in which her dramatic skills and emotional depth were on full display, her performance in this film felt lackadaisical in comparison, especially in emotional depth.
Ultimately, “How to Make a Killing” was an entertaining watch but not groundbreaking. The pacing of the film was one of its weakest facets since, by the end, the plot still felt undercooked and lacking time, development or suspense. Powell’s performance felt safe and, while entertaining, not believable – as Powell had more trouble with his marriage than he ever did with killing his seven relatives.
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