A24
Glen Powell is undeniably among Hollywood’s most in-demand rising leading men. Still, his 2026 serial-killer comedy thriller “How to Make a Killing” somehow failed to live up to its title when A24 released it in March. Written and directed by John Patton Ford and loosely inspired by the 1949 classic “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” the film arrived with pedigree and star power — so what is the movie actually about, and why might it be worth a second look?
Framed around Powell’s Becket Redfellow speaking with a priest while he waits on death row for his execution, “How to Make a Killing” traces the twisted path that brought him there. As a boy, Becket is urged by his dying mother to pursue the life she believes he deserves. Years later, he interprets that advice in the most extreme way possible: after realizing he may have a claim to the enormous Redfellow fortune, he begins eliminating the relatives blocking his access to a $28 billion inheritance. His bloody climb up the family tree gets more complicated when he crosses paths with Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), a childhood friend with schemes — and financial ambitions — of her own.
Although “How to Make a Killing” is now gaining traction on HBO Max, according to FlixPatrol, its theatrical run was far less impressive. The film barely made noise at the box office, earning only $21 million against a reported $15 million budget. Reviews were not especially kind either, with many critics unconvinced by Powell’s latest star vehicle. So, where did the backlash come from?
Critics didn’t think Glen Powell’s movie How to Make a Killing killed it, apparently
A24
On Rotten Tomatoes, “How to Make a Killing” landed firmly in disappointing territory. The movie holds a 45% critics’ score, placing it in “rotten” range, with the site’s consensus stating, “Deploying Glen Powell’s magnetic likability to head-scratching ends, this tonally bizarre comedic thriller wants to eat its rich and have it, too.” Individual reviewers were not much more enthusiastic.
Writing for Newsweek, Billie Melissa argued, “‘How to Make a Killing’ feels as though it’s trying to do too much, and ultimately delivers on none of its promises.” Peter Travers was similarly unimpressed in his review at The Travers Take. “In this sadly stunted comic thriller, a delightfully depraved Glen Powell must kill seven of his family members to inherit $28 billion,” he wrote. “Would you? By the end, the film commits the worst crime of all by killing our interest.” Frank Scheck echoed that frustration in The Hollywood Reporter, drawing a comparison to another recent crime thriller: “Ultimately, ‘How to Make a Killing’ doesn’t have the courage of its convictions, or even its killings, giving it a blandness that’s surprising coming from the writer-director of the much sharper ‘Emily the Criminal.’”
Overall, critics appeared largely resistant to Powell’s murderous romp. That said, not every response was entirely negative. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times found the film watchable, even if uneven, writing, “The story and the actors make ‘How to Make a Killing’ easy to drift along with, even if it never coheres tonally, logically, or, really, any which way.” Fortunately, viewers who came away cold on this particular Powell performance have another, better-liked option to consider.
How to Make a Killing isn’t the first time Glen Powell has played a killer … kind of
Netflix
For anyone interested in seeing Glen Powell play another smooth-talking operator whose relationship to murder is complicated, “Hit Man” is the obvious follow-up. Released in 2023 and inspired by a real-life story detailed in Skip Hollandsworth’s 2001 article, the film was co-written by Powell and director Richard Linklater. Powell stars as Gary Johnson, a mild-mannered psychology and philosophy professor who also works undercover with the New Orleans Police Department, assisting in sting operations targeting people trying to hire killers. When the usual fake hit man is removed from the job because of misconduct, Gary is forced to take over — and unexpectedly discovers he has a startling talent for pretending to be an assassin. That double life brings him into the orbit of Madison (Adria Arjona), a beautiful and troubled woman who knows him as “Ron” and wants him to kill her husband, only for their relationship to take a dangerously romantic turn.
Powell is so effortlessly charismatic in “Hit Man” that the performance reportedly helped persuade Stephen King to cast him in Edgar Wright’s 2025 adaptation of “The Running Man.” And while Gary Johnson is not actually a murderer, the movie still makes a fitting companion piece to “How to Make a Killing.” “Hit Man” is streaming exclusively on Netflix, while “How to Make a Killing” is currently finding a much warmer audience on HBO Max.
