Shadows on the Wall | How to Make a Killing

How to Make a Killing

dir-scr John Patton Ford
prd Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin
with Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Ed Harris, Bill Camp, James Frecheville, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Raff Law, Phumi Tau, Stevel Marc, Adrian Lukis
release US 20.Feb.26,
UK 13.Mar.26
26/US StudioCanal 1h45

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Loosely based on the 1949 classic Kind Hearts and Coronets, this black comedy starts strongly before losing its grip on the tone and turning into a grim drama. So it's difficult to care about anyone, even when the protagonist is the consistently charming Glen Powell. Writer-director John Patton Ford plays with some nicely pointed ideas about greed and wealth, but the film's ultimate message is almost shockingly desolate.

After growing up as a disinherited orphan, Becket (Powell) might actually inherit the family fortune if he's the last relative standing. So almost as a joke, he begins thinking about knocking off the seven remaining family members. Most are drains on society, so it's like he's doing a good thing. Then his Uncle Warren (Camp) gives him a Wall Street job, and his life starts getting better when he falls for Ruth (Henwick). But his childhood girlfriend Julia (Qualley) is urging him to finish the job by killing his grandfather (Harris) to claim the cash.

All of this is recounted by Becket to a priest (Lukis) while he's on death row, although his motive for this confession gets oddly blurred along the way. The first few murders are almost accidental, bringing unexpected results that add a superb whiff of irony to the pitch-black humour. Then the film begins to lean more heavily into emotions, compromising the comical tone. It's never easy to cheer for Becket, since his plan is motivated by greedy revenge, but it gets harder as his situation shifts.

Powell is so likeable that we happily accompany him on this rollercoaster ride. He gives Becket endearing flickers of thoughtfulness that the script ignores. His relationship with Henwick's steely Ruth has a nice kick to it, bringing some genuine hope to the story, but even that is sidelined in lieu of Qualley's lusty femme fatale. Julia is funny and camp, but so relentless that we are actually disappointed every time she pops up with another scary demand.

It's not easy to walk that tightrope between comedy and violence, and very few filmmakers get it right. The issue here is that Ford never goes all-in with either, gleefully playing up the nastiness in the first half before allowing emotion and warmth to shift the story into a startlingly bleak look at the perils of suppressing your conscience. As a result, the ending leaves us with quite a few nagging questions about what this movie is trying to say.

themes, language, violence 5.Mar.26

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