HOW TO MAKE A KILLING -- Glen Powell Charms in A24’s New Darkly Comedic & Thematic Outing

Review by Chadd Clubine

There’s plenty to unpack about the upcoming film How to Make a Killing. Among this weekend’s new releases, it stands out as the clear highlight. Carrying an R rating, the film is poised to draw audiences largely on the strength of its all-star cast, its intriguingly offbeat premise, and the backing of A24 as distributor. The concept may sound bizarre—even morbid—on paper, but under the direction of John Patton Ford, the material fully embraces its absurdity, balancing sharp intention with darkly comedic humor.

Looking at Glen Powell’s filmography, his strongest performance to date remains in Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater—though this latest turn is a close second. Here, Powell taps into flashes of Patrick Bateman-esque slickness, blended with the calculated precision of Agent 47 from the Hitman video game series. While the film doesn’t fully flesh out his character’s motivations, it pointedly underscores how intimately tied he is to the family—and the weight of the choices he ultimately makes. The first act may not lean as boldly into its themes as it could, but by the final stretch, the film leaves little ambiguity about its intent.

At a brisk 105 minutes, the film moves with remarkable speed, propelled by an infectious, tightly controlled energy. That momentum feels like a natural evolution of John Patton Ford’s work on Emily the Criminal, while also signaling the emergence of a more defined signature style. There’s substantial thematic and narrative ground to cover, yet Ford never lets the story stall. By infusing the film with sharp humor and layered themes, he sustains its pace without sacrificing depth, ensuring the momentum carries through to the end.
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Each character feels vividly drawn and alive. Glen Powell commands the bulk of the screen time, but the supporting cast leaves a lasting impression despite more limited appearances. Margaret Qualley is especially striking in a deliberately distasteful role that serves as a warped mirror to Powell’s character. Jessica Henwick reveals a softer, more grounded dimension of Powell’s character—the version of him that could choose contentment. Bill Camp brings a quiet compassion to his role, suggesting that not everyone in the family shares the same immoral compass. Meanwhile, Zach Woods and Topher Grace inject sharp humor into the film, even if both could have benefited from additional screen time. Finally, Ed Harris makes a formidable impression in a brief appearance, his icy presence lingering long after he exits the frame.

The third act is packed with genuine surprises. Even with the film’s structural framework established early on, it continues to twist and recalibrate expectations in satisfying ways. While flashbacks can often stall momentum in film or television, here they’re used strategically—deepening the intrigue and prompting us to question how the protagonist arrived at this precarious point. There’s an argument to be made that the film could have explored Ed Harris’s character more fully, particularly the reasons behind his estrangement from Powell’s character’s mother. That added context might have sharpened the emotional stakes. Still, the conclusion effectively circles back to the film’s central themes, underscoring the extreme lengths people will go to for money. It lands with clarity and bite, leaving a lasting impression of the story’s moral undercurrent.

Drawing from its literary source material and additional influences, John Patton Ford crafts an adaptation that still feels distinctly original. Much of that uniqueness comes from the film’s striking visual language and evocative score by Emile Mosseri. Cinematographer Todd Banhazl washes the frame in a hazy green palette that subtly echoes the color of money, reinforcing the film’s thematic undercurrent without feeling heavy-handed. Meanwhile, Mosseri’s score injects a sense of character and texture that gives the film its own sonic identity. Together, these elements elevate the material, creating an atmosphere that demands attention and sustains it from beginning to end.
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How to Make a Killing stands as another strong entry in this year’s cinematic slate, signaling the promise still ahead. Glen Powell delivers a layered performance that balances sympathy, sharp humor, and moments of outright revulsion. The supporting cast makes the most of their material, each performance adding texture and dimension to the story. Behind the camera, John Patton Ford maintains a brisk momentum, using dark humor and timely themes to keep the narrative both entertaining and pointed. As it stands, the film ranks among the year’s most pleasant surprises so far.

How to Make a Killing is in theaters February 20th!

Rating: 4/5