Grasyn and Zach agreed to watch How to Make a Killing on their own and write down their thoughts about it. The goal of the assignment was to see the movie and then compare how their opinions and reactions might differ.
Grasyn Peterson’s Review
I thought How to Make a Killing was interesting but also kind of fun. The whole idea that he is trying to kill his own rich family members to get a giant inheritance is unique and something I haven’t seen before, so it made the movie a lot more interesting. There are a bunch of parts in the movie where we see the main character plan out how to take people out, and they start out simple but later on they get kind of creative and more though out. It kept me watching because I wanted to see how far he was willing to go just for money.
I liked how the movie shows him going from normal to doing really extreme things. There are moments where he is calm and confident, and then other times he starts to stress out, and everything seems to fall apart. I also thought it was cool how the story is being told while he is on death row talking about what he did. The narration gave the sad parts more emotion.
Some parts were unrealistic and a little over the top, for example the FBI thinking all the deaths were just bad coincidences. I think the FBI having a bigger part in the movie could have made it more entertaining. But at the end of the day its just one of those movies where you just sit and watch all the crazy stuff happen and see whats gonna happen next.
Overall, I thought it was fun, funny at times, and definitely different from most movies I watch.
I rate the movie an 8/10
Zachary Cornell’s Review
Glen Powell is usually the guy you see in rom-coms or action movies playing the hero, but in the new A24 thriller How to Make a Killing (2026), he takes a much darker turn. He plays Becket Redfellow, a man who finds out he was cut out of a massive family inheritance and decides to take it back by force.
The movie is a dark thriller that focuses on Becket returning to his wealthy family’s estate to “reconnect.” While he looks like the same “nice guy” we usually see Powell play, there is something much more intense and believable about him this time around.
“There are seven Redfellows,” Becket says as he looks over a list of his wealthy relatives. “If I were to prune a few branches of the family tree, where would I start?”
Some of the story takes place inside a giant, creepy mansion, which helps build a lot of tension as Becket starts his plan. Powell’s performance is effective because he stays calm and polite even when things get violent, which makes the character feel more dangerous than a typical movie villain.
“I wonder who’s next,” Powell whispers to one of his targets in a very chilling scene. “If I were you, I might be nervous because I have a lot of patience.”
Even though Powell is known for his “nice and shiny” Hollywood image, he shows a lot of range in this role. It isn’t just about the dialogue; he has a specific look in his eyes that makes you feel like he’s not just acting, but that he really understands the character’s dark side.
“People think they know me because I smile,” Becket tells his cousin during a tense dinner scene. “But a smile is just a door that stays locked from the inside.”
It is an interesting shift for an actor who is usually so likable. While you might still want to grab dinner with the guy, this movie definitely makes you think twice about what he might be capable of if he ever got truly angry.
“This house has a lot of secrets,” Becket says while walking through a dark hallway. “Most of them are buried under the floorboards, and I’m the only one who knows where the shovel is.”
Overall, it’s a strong performance that will probably change how people see him in his future movies. He manages to be both charming and scary at the same time, which is a hard balance to hit without overdoing it.
“Until then,” he says to the camera with a dark grin as the movie ends. “I’m sure you’ll make a killing.”
Rating: 8/10… great plot, great acting.
