Introduction
The elements present in John Patton Ford’s How to Make a Killing should combine for an effective black comedy, or a light drama, or for a biting satire. Unfortunately, the film can’t decide which of these films it wants to be. The result is a film with odd pacing and an even odder energy.
Plot Synopsis
Glen Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, the estranged member of the billionaire Redfellow family. After his mother was disowned and cut off from the family, Becket vows to reclaim his place among his family by any means necessary. Becket’s childhood friend and crush Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley) subtly encourages Becket’s quest without direct involvement.
Becket begins scoping out his cousins of various levels of stupidity, including the brash and lazy Taylor (Raff Law), megachurch pastor Steven (Topher Grace), and artist Noah (Zach Woods) and becomes enamored with Ruth (Jessica Henwick), Noah’s mismatched girlfriend. Becket also works his way into the financial world via his uncle Warren (Bill Camp). As Becket gets closer and closer to his fortune, the risks to his success also increase in proximity.
Themes/Problems
The idea of killing off family members is one thing, but these people are presented as being terrible, awful rich people. That being said, their actual personalities vary from slightly criminal to annoyingly stupid. There is this idea Becket shouldn’t feel bad about what he did and neither should the audience. While that is true, there is no moral quandary at all. Becket struggles more with the execution than the “execution.” Becket’s psychology and inner turmoil is underdeveloped, at best. At worse, it doesn’t make a lick of sense.
As the audience, we are supposed to be cheering for Becket’s murderous intentions, but we really have no reason to outside of Powell’s face and on-screen persona. Becket’s action don’t translate to anything with a semblance of reality. Not a spoiler, but Beckett tells the whole film in flashback. And the character being told about the events even stops Becket to asks him why he did this. Becket has no answer and neither does the film. Onward and outward I guess. That disconnect of purpose makes the film float between genres, never settling on what kind of film it wants to be.
Cast/Filmmakers
Powell does what he can with the limited characterization. Even his performance gives off an odd energy. There are multiple scenes where Becket wears hats in abnormal settings. There is no explanation for why he does this. It’s just a thing that happens. Powell suits parts of the character, but never the whole. He is not an actor with any psychopathic tendencies in his performances, so it never translates to any sort of evil.
Qualley’s character is much more of an enigma, and you realize at the film’s midpoint that she is not to be trifled with. Henwick is the exact opposite of Qualley, being the absolute force for good on the flipside. Both of the female characters have severe underdevelopment, despite the best efforts of both actresses. Both Grace and Woods get to be silly goofs in their respective roles, but they barely exist in the world of this film. In particular, Grace blows the doors off in only a few minutes of screentime, just to be dispatched moments later. It’s a real waste.
Coming off of Emily the Criminal, Ford seems like a correct fit for this type of complex narrative. Instead, he takes the safe route at every turn, refusing to actually have anything to say about anything happening. There is no social commentary, there is no moral battling, and there is little comedy. It’s like Ford is intending to make seven different types of films, and landed on making none of them.
Conclusion
How to Make a Killing should have been at least entertaining, but it doesn’t land with any impact. Lots of potential, none of the execution.
