Writer and director John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) has partnered with A24 to bring audiences his sophomore feature film, How to Make a Killing. Disowned by his wealthy family before birth, Becket has lived a blue-collar life with big dreams of eventually receiving the family inheritance. With seven relatives in line before him, he decides to take matters into his own hands to make his way up the family food chain.

In the current political climate, making a darkly comedic thriller with an eat-the-rich theme is almost a guaranteed slam dunk. Ford has created just that with How to Make a Killing, using satire and caricatures of “rich person” stereotypes to craft an entertaining film. When Becket’s mother became pregnant with him, her father disowned her. Despite this, for some odd reason, Becket is still in the line of succession to inherit the Redfellow family fortune, if the seven people in line ahead of him should die. Now an adult, Becket is done waiting. He finds ways to infiltrate the lives of these family members he’s never met, concocting ways to kill each individual so each death looks like a freak accident. Because this film is dripping with satire, the various characters that make up the Redfellow family are all pretty outrageous. It allows for a bit of commentary from Ford, conveying how detached from reality and even downright evil people can be when they have access to extreme wealth. However, this commentary also feels like it lacks some substance. Sure, it’s anti-1%, but certain events throughout Becket’s journey muddy that message. It shifts the film to more of a “be careful what you wish for” story in which not a single person seems to have any redeeming qualities, including Becket himself. While the messaging might be a bit on the shallow side, the humor and suspense still make for an exciting theatrical experience.

A highlight of How to Make a Killing is the fantastic cast. Glen Powell (Twisters, The Running Man) stars as Becket Redfellow. Powell knows how to deliver a great comedic performance. With this role, at times he makes Becket a sympathetic character always trying to give the outward appearance of success, despite his poor upbringing. Yet he also has a cold, calculated mindset that allows him to kill other Redfellows without remorse. It’s a performance that will have audiences rooting for Becket one moment, then wishing they could smack some sense into him the next. Another fantastic performance comes from Margaret Qualley (The Substance, Poor Things) as Becket’s childhood crush, Julia. Unlike Becket, Julia comes from money, has always had money, and it shows in her confidence and sense of entitlement. Qualley’s performance helps act as a constant reminder for Becket of the life he could have and the person he could be if he only had the money. The entire ensemble cast of the film is wonderful, including a great performance from Jessica Henwick (Cuckoo) as well as a number of surprise appearances from familiar faces.

Despite the film having an R rating, don’t expect How to Make a Killing to include graphic kill scenes. For the most part, the deaths occur off-screen and aren’t particularly violent because they are meant to look like accidents. Instead, much of the visual interest is left to the set design and costuming. The sets are often lavish, exuding wealth and luxury through the furniture and lighting. This is a stark contrast to Becket’s more modest home, which has hints of the wealth he wishes he had in an otherwise small and slightly rundown space. The costume design for each character perfectly conveys their personalities and the rich stereotypes they represent, whether that be designer duds or more eccentric outfits. For Becket, the costume design primarily shows the man he wishes he was, wearing nicely tailored suits that hide his economic status. When he begins killing other Redfellows, he changes up his wardrobe in order to be a chameleon, blending in to every situation so he can worm his way close to his targets. All of these details are on the more subtle side, but they wonderfully help to tell the story.

How to Make a Killing is a satirical eat-the-rich thriller that lacks a bit of substance, but makes up for it with plenty of laughs. Ford seems to enjoy telling underdog stories of people trying to gain the wealth they dream of, also making it clear money doesn’t always buy happiness. While he could have gone a bit deeper with the themes he presents, the satire and over-the-top situations this anti-hero finds himself in are sure to entertain audiences everywhere. Powell proves once again he can be both a heartthrob and a skilled comedic performer with Qualley acting as a perfect, deadly counterbalance. If you enjoy a bit of levity with your murder and suspense, this is certainly the film for you. How to Make a Killing hits theaters this Friday, February 20th.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10