How to Make a Killing
3 Mar 2026 
Russ Matthews Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) deserves credit for deliberately choosing projects that stretch beyond the traditional movie-star trajectory and continue to demonstrate his range as an actor. Following Twisters and The Running Man, he steps into the unlikely role of the overlooked relative of an extraordinarily wealthy family who has deliberately left him outside the walls of their privileged world. That rejection drives him to desperate measures to claim what he believes is rightfully his as a member of the Redfellow family.
Audiences meet Becket Redfellow (Powell) as he begins his final confession to Father Morris (Adrian Lukis), the priest who ministers to death row inmates. In the final hours before his execution, Becket recounts how he and his mother were rejected by the Redfellow patriarch, Whitelaw (Ed Harris). Though a legitimate heir to the family fortune, his existence was hidden from the rest of the clan. Determined to secure his birthright, the ambitious young man begins methodically—and deceptively—eliminating the relatives who stand in his way. Yet questions linger: Why is Becket truly facing the death penalty? And what role does his former childhood crush, Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), play in his downfall?
The premise may not feel entirely original, echoing numerous murder mysteries that have come before it. However, writer-director John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) and the central performances elevate the material. Ford maintains a careful balance of plausibility and pacing, keeping audiences engaged without overburdening them with logistical scrutiny. The film’s dark comedic tone allows viewers to wrestle with the moral absurdity of Becket’s actions while still finding themselves drawn to him. By crafting a protagonist who is both morally compromised and pitiably relatable, Ford invites audiences to question why they are willing—even briefly—to excuse his behaviour.
This tension works largely because of Glen Powell’s charisma. He brings an unsettling charm to Becket, grounding the character’s outrageous ambition in emotional vulnerability. Margaret Qualley complements him with a modern femme fatale presence, while the ensemble portraying the eccentric Redfellows adds texture and energy to the narrative. What emerges is a surprisingly engaging film—one that entertains even as it unsettles. Beneath its sharp humour lies a sobering reflection on how discontentment and unresolved longing can imprison a person long before any prison sentence is imposed.
How to Make a Killing presents itself as a dark comedy but gradually reveals itself to be a confronting morality play—more tragic than Becket’s opening confession initially suggests. It is a film that demands to be seen through to its conclusion, where the full weight of its message becomes clear: achieving everything the world promises can still leave a person trapped in despair.
REEL DIALOGUE: Money and Being Content
How to Make a Killing vividly portrays how the pursuit of wealth can produce intoxicating highs and devastating lows. Becket’s relentless drive to secure his inheritance reveals how easily money can shift from being a resource to becoming a ruler. His life becomes a cautionary tale of misplaced devotion.
Many people are unaware of how much Jesus spoke about money—not merely about giving, but about priorities. His teaching consistently pointed to the human heart. Wealth itself is not condemned, but the love of it—and the power it can assume over our identity and decisions—is warned against. Jesus’ words challenge audiences to consider what truly masters their lives.
The question raised by this film is not simply whether Becket’s actions were wrong; that is obvious. The deeper question is: What was he serving? Status? Revenge? Wealth? Security?
Jesus’ teaching invites us to ask a similar question of ourselves: Who—or what—is our master?
Money can promise freedom but often delivers anxiety, comparison, and restlessness. In contrast, the God of the Bible offers a different kind of mastery—one marked not by control and fear, but by grace, peace, and genuine contentment.
In the end, How to Make a Killing becomes more than a darkly humorous crime story. It serves as a reminder that when wealth becomes our master, we may gain the world and still lose ourselves.
Bible References
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
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