You can easily tell we’re in an era of runaway inequality, in large part due to how frequently dark-but-humorous tales pop up about casually decimating the rich.

The Oscar-winning 2019 phenom Parasite sees the Kim family scam their way into the lives of the wealthy Parks, keenly critical of the subtle violence of the upper class. Ready or Not follows Grace (Samara Weaving) marrying into a family of game magnates who actually worship the devil, forcing Grace to win The Most Dangerous Game. Chef Julian takes delicious revenge on elite clientele in 2022’s The Menu, while Sam Raimi’s survival thriller Send Help sees an abused corporate strategist trapped on a desert island with her terrible young boss, turning the tables in deadly ways. At their best, these situations can provide cathartic, incisive commentary on our era, packaged into palatable (if dark) ways.

Glen Powell in How To Make A Killing
A24

How To Make A Killing is a smart, inventive dark comedy thriller that finds humor and tension in a black sheep’s campaign of terror, anchored by a perfectly cast Glen Powell.

The film centers on Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell), a man who works a boring 9-5, has little family or connections, and few prospects beyond a chiseled jaw.Due to an unalterable will, he’s an heir to the Redfellow family fortune despite being far down the list of inheritors. His mother, daughter to living Redfellow patriarch Whitelaw Redfellow, had a child out of wedlock (Becket, of course), and was effectively kicked out of the family. Becket’s father died, followed by his mother, leaving Becket alone in the world. A meeting with youthful crush Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley) reminds him of the fortune that may finally become his, minus one problem: there are more than a few Redfellows in the way. Will the Redfellows become deadfellows? Yes, if Becket has something to say about it.

A Talented Cast Anchor A Twisty, Effed-Up Thriller

There’s a delicious but complicated class politics that’s baked into the darkly comedic How To Make A Killing. Becket has been thrust into the workaday life of everyday Americans after a lifetime of receiving a highbrow education (courtesy of his mother) but otherwise being denied his birthright. His goal, of course, isn’t revolutionary: he wants his unearned slice of the pie, but the route to doing so involves a cathartic and bloody path through a small parade of privileged jerks, each death proceeding in inventive ways.

Topher Grace in How To Make A Killing
A24

In the surprising Emily the Criminal, writer-director John Patton Ford already proved his mettle at finding empathy for unlikable working-class characters on the come-up, finding empathy in their desperation. That skill is on full display in the excellent How to Make A Killing, loosely inspired by 1949’s Kind Hearts and Coronets, but it feels fresh, modern, and smart.

Glen Powell is enjoyable and charismatic as the desperate and indignant Beckett. He’s understandably angry at abandonment by his wealthy and cold forebears, which cost his mother her life. While the film, like Beckett, initially revels in the campaign of clandestine terror, the script smartly allows Beckett to evolve thanks to his emergent love with Ruth (Jessica Henwick). Henwick is wonderful in the role, adding an organic sweetness that would otherwise be lacking. Margaret Qualley delivers deliciously manipulative femme fatale energy as ambitious former crush, Julia. She lights up the screen each time, spiraling the protagonist’s situation into fun directions. It’s also worth noting that the cast is a whole is peppered with hateable, memorable dirtbags, giving fun brief outings for talented players. Particular shout-outs are warranted here for Topher Grace as corrupt Pastor Steven J. Redfellow and Zach Woods as the lovably obtuse artist, Noah.

Glen Powell Makes Redfellows Deadfellows In A Whip-Smart Black Comedy

How to Make A Killing is a cleverly scripted, well-crafted film with numerous virtues. It’s fun, boasts a surprising ending, and finds novel ways to move the narrative forward and stay fresh. The humor is extremely dry yet exceedingly clever. As a whole, this works, but it doesn’t fully master that tone with consistency. Black comedy involves a delicate balance of tones almost by definition, often finding subtle humor and irony in a situation that doesn’t intuitively contain it. Killing doesn’t always succeed in that delicate balance. Some of the film’s humor could hit harder, while others have a lack of coherence between the tone in the moment and what it seems to be trying to achieve. As a whole, however, Killing is a smart and well-executed tale that gives the infinitely charming Powell numerous fun things to do.

Margaret Qualley in How To Make A Killing
A24

Altogether, How To Make A Killing is a stellar, timely, thoroughly effed up dark comedy. Glen Powell boasts strong comedic timing and weaponizes his leading man charm to ground a character doing bad things (but are they, though?, it asks), yet we’re in his corner, anyway. Margaret Qualley showcases a keen ability to lead a man into probable doom in another strong turn, and the entire cast is impeccably chosen.

The script captures the promise of the premise far more often than not, for a timely and well-told tale. Some story elements could use better grounding (Becket gets into a spot of legal trouble, and it’s a bit unclear why he couldn’t easily get out, for one example). Certain scenes have tonal issues. It would be darker, but perhaps appropriate, to see more of particular depths… morbid, I know, but it’s a morbid plot! All that said, How To Make A Killing is a stellar, twisted black comedy that’s another winner for A24.

How To Make A Killing hits theaters February 20, 2026.

For more Reviews, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

‘Crime 101’ Review – A Superb Original Crime Thriller With Plenty Of Style