Few of us working class people will ever taste the privilege of a fortune. Even fewer of us would kill for it.
But Becket Redfellow will stop at nothing to reclaim an inheritance denied to him — even if it means murdering his entire family.
Directed by John Patton Ford and based on the novel, “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal” by Roy Horniman, “How to Make a Killing” is an impressive new addition to Ford’s relatively short filmography. Released on Feb. 20 by cult film powerhouse A24, I had the privilege of seeing this hilarious movie before it was officially released in theaters.
The film follows Becket Redfellow, played by Glen Powell, a man whose origins are far more interesting than his modest appearance implies. In his childhood, Becket befriends the upper-class Julia Steinway, played by Margaret Qualley, with whom he shares a brief connection before his mother’s unexpected death.
As she dies, his mother, Mary Redfellow, played by Nell Williams, informs Becket that he still holds a claim to the Redfellow family fortune.
The mechanism by which the Redfellow family fortune is distributed is simple: whoever is the last surviving, legitimate heir will inherit the trust. Emboldened by the dying words of his mother and dissatisfied with his life, Becket resolves to eliminate each Redfellow one by one— and with style.
As Becket’s plot unfolds, we begin to catch brief glimpses of the true character he’s hidden within himself. A comedic, glorious montage of betrayal, deceit, and murder reveals that Becket is not just some impoverished anti-hero: rather, he is a vain, malevolent force whose personal ambitions destroy everyone around him.
There is a relevant message underlying the flair and dark comedy within “How to Make a Killing”. Beneath overarching themes of privilege and vanity, Ford masterfully reckons this complexity within Becket through a subtle transformation that leaves him almost unrecognizable.
The audience can no longer sympathize with him, but at that point, he is simply too powerful to stop. In between our laughter at well-timed jokes and the absurd comedy of his many creative murders, we watch on, startlingly complicit in Becket’s plot.
The film also explores some of the more meaningful areas of Becket’s life, such as work status and finding love. He is temporarily satisfied by these worldly things, though not enough to pivot away from his plot. This insatiable ambition almost ruins him.
In the latter half of the film, there is the growing threat of law enforcement and a reconciliation with the manipulative Julia Steinway. Previously cinematic scenes of lavish estates and fancy funerals are now rife with danger rather than comedy.
But just when you think someone as morally bankrupt as Becket Redfellow is going to pay for his crimes, he is saved at the last moment by a frustrating technicality.
Becket resumes living his life in luxury as Juca Chaves’ “Take Me Back to Piauí“ plays confidently over the closing credits. Such is the life of an ultra-wealthy individual — free of conscience, and free of consequence.
“How to Make a Killing” and all of its characters vary in privilege. They are unsuspecting pawns on the larger chessboard of capitalism, struggling and vying for control of its center.
The Redfellows are a corrupt, uncaring dynasty that vehemently defends this status by any means necessary, but by the end of the film, this is precisely what Becket has become.
Despite its morally grey ending, the film manages to portray a charming, working-class protagonist against the larger institution of billionaires, both enacting vengeance upon this class and also cautioning them. It does so with stylish filmography, well-written comedy, a dazzling cast of talented actors, and a rather enjoyable runtime.
Ultimately, whether held in the hands of the privileged Redfellow family or in the scheming grasp of an ambitious criminal, wealth is a corrupting, vapid force that happens to be the very foundation upon which American society is built.
“How to Make a Killing” is at once a murderously funny rags-to-riches story — but also a poignant cautionary tale of greed and the lengths one will go to for power.
