As seen from his previous feature, “Emily the Criminal,” filmmaker John Patton Ford knows how to dive into the nastiness of income inequality, and the necessary ruthlessness to get ahead in the rigged game of the American dream. He delves further into this capitalist morass with “How to Make a Killing,” an updated, Americanized version of the classic British comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets.”
Despite being set in a different time and country, “How to Make a Killing” is even more scathing for how little has to change from the 1949 feature. Where it does depart is in making note of how American individualism means little compared to dynastic wealth, and weighing the true cost of attaining power in a system built on blood and good relations. Despite these weighty themes, the film offers plenty of comic bite thanks to the always-charming Glen Powell and a terrific ensemble.
Powell plays Becket Redfellow — when his mother became pregnant, her wealthy family, the Redfellows, disowned her, and she was forced to grow up in a middle-class existence in New Jersey. When she passed away, the family refused to even inter her in their mausoleum. Now an adult, Becket labors at an upscale men’s boutique with the knowledge that if his seven relatives were to die, he would inherit a trust worth $28 billion. Prodded by misfortune, resentment and the tempting of his wealthy childhood friend Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), Becket resolves to kill those who are ahead of him in the line of succession.
However, the further he proceeds, the more solace he finds in kind people like his uncle Warren (Bill Camp) as well as Ruth (Jessica Henwick), the wife of one of Becket’s cousins/obstacles. These connections force him to reconsider if the Redfellow wealth will truly make him happy.
The biggest departure Ford makes here, aside from the setting, is in having the wealthy family played by different actors. In “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” those who needed to be bumped off were all brilliantly played by Alec Guinness regardless of the character’s age or gender. It was a sly way of pointing out how staid and stratified the English aristocracy was, a collection of roles but ultimately the same face. Rather than repeat that trick, Ford wisely utilizes a strong ensemble, playing to the flattery of American individualism while showcasing the shared venality of the Redfellows like pretentious artist Noah (Zach Woods) or con artist megachurch pastor Steven (Topher Grace). The story’s appeal here has always been our lead doing bad things to worse people, and the comically noxious behavior of the supporting cast allows us to relish in Becket knocking off his relatives.
Of course, you also need a lead with charm to spare if your protagonist is going to be so greedy and murderous, and thankfully, Powell continues to show his movie star appeal. He knows how to be roguish enough to win us to his side while never shying away from the malevolence driving Becket forward. What Powell and Ford understand is that money may be Becket’s reward, but it’s not his motivation. He’s driven by revenge for how the Redfellows treated his beloved mother, but because his identity was shaped around the trappings of wealth, he can’t cop to the underlying emotions. It has to be about money, and that adds a tragic angle as he can never fully appreciate the love he receives from Warren or Ruth.
Although “How to Make a Killing” is far from the first eat-the-rich film we’ve seen in recent years, it knows how to be fleet-footed enough to never play as preachy or pedantic. Powell’s charisma and that of his co-stars gives the movie plenty of zip on its fastball, so we’re always carried along to how Becket will commit his next crime. Ford knows we’re already on board with offing the wealthy who show no loyalty beyond their cloistered existence, so the drama comes from whether Becket will follow their shallow desires to his doom or pull out of this spiral and find contentment with what he already has.
As income inequality in America grows and the wealthy show little interest in anything other than hoarding their riches, films like “How to Make a Killing” will only find greater purchase. We’re now torn between the comfort immense wealth promises and understanding that the possibility of achieving such comfort is little more than a shiny bauble the 1% dangles in front of the masses.
“How to Make a Killing” has the acuity to know that even if you are willing to play such a rigged game in ruthless fashion, you’ll still lose. The film’s magic trick is taking this bleak idea and knowing how to find the fun in such brutal sport.
An A24 release, “How to Make a Killing” opens exclusively in theaters on Feb. 20.
