HOW TO MAKE A KILLING is a delicious, devilish, deceiving comedy thriller that misses its intended mark half the time. It stars the normally amazing talent of actor Glen Powell as Beckett, a wannabe poor guy yearning for wealth and revenge. The fault lies with the director, John Patton Ford, who played the tone too coy, with not enough thrilling moments to make the pay-off get our attention and applause.
Powell (HIT MAN) is a strong, confident actor who excels at creating memorable moments onscreen. This time around, I don’t believe the material had enough grit on each page, and Powell seemed to almost break character with each glimpse of his teasing smile. Margaret Qualley (HAPPY GILMORE 2) as Julia was far more interesting. She came and went throughout the film, but still managed to steal each scene with her pouty, sexy characterization. Her silky touch was just enough to make her an unfathomable heroine, far more memorable. Their scenes together contained the simmering sizzle necessary. Too bad there weren’t more frequent interactions.
HOW TO MAKE A KILLING was an okay movie. It never rose beyond a meh level of emotional heft. It needed more surprises. It simply passed the time in an amusing sort of way that defied any form of realism. If only life’s predicaments could be solved like this.
HOW TO MAKE A KILLING is streaming on HBO MAX.
