The new crime thriller movie How to Make a Killing, which stars Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley, has debuted to a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score.
The film sees Powell play Becket Redfellow, whose mother was disowned by her rich family before he was born. But, he intends to pick off his relatives to inherit a fortune anyway. Qualley plays Becket’s friend Julia Steinway.
How to Make a Killing currently sits at 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed reviews from critics.
“This should be tighter, meaner, leaner, cutting. How to make a killing? Let’s worry about the smaller stuff first,” is the verdict of Kate Erbland in a C-rated IndieWire review.
“An experience akin to watching someone try to light a match when the entire box is wet,” is the pretty damning thoughts of The Guardian‘s Benjamin Lee in a 2-star review.
“A disappointingly flat almost-remake that has neither the biting farce nor the chilling darkness to match its black comedy ambitions,” says The Associated Press‘s Jake Coyle in another 2-star review.
However, not everyone is unimpressed. “How to Make a Killing boasts an opening so strong that it buys enough audience goodwill to coast through nearly its entire running time. That’s priceless in a screwball murder movie in which everyone’s soul is for sale,” says Amy Nicholson’s review for the Los Angeles Times.
“In the age of Dexter and Succession and Beef, How to Make a Killing just plays as a patchy amusement. Yet I was held by it; the film’s acrid riffs on the hidden depravity of the new greed culture keep it aloft,” says Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman.
“The dark comedy has a lot of fun with the ‘kills’ and Becket’s charm (or maybe that’s just Powell’s natural charisma) lends itself to a run ride of a film. And one that really showcases just how fun Glen Powell can be in a role,” says The Mary Sue‘s Rachel Leishman in a 4.5-star review.
How to Make a Killing releases on February 20 in the US and March 13 in the UK. In the meantime, fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies of the year, or all of the year’s movie release dates.
