Pop Commentary

“How to Make a Killing” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a solid thriller that will keep you entertained up until the end.

The synopsis

“How to Make a Killing” stars Glen Powell as a blue-collar man who is disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family and will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.

The gag

The thing I liked best about the movie was that the audience was told in the very beginning that the main character ends up on death row, so we spend the rest of the movie on the edge of our seats to see how he gets apprehended while on his mission to take out his family members.

Another highlight for me was Glen Powell’s performance. I think it’s one of his better movies because he excels in these thrillers where he can play a guy who’s a little smug and conniving.

The drag

My biggest complaint about the movie was that at one point, the killings became a little monotonous. I get that the whole point is that he kills a bunch of family members to get his inheritance, but I think they could have been broken up more or we could have gotten to know the victims through an earlier scene, like at the first funeral. That way, their deaths would have felt more impactful.

Another critique I had was that the main character was portrayed as a nice and normal guy, so it was kind of hard to believe that he could have killed all those family members and not be fazed by it.

The verdict

With that said, I had a good time watching “How to Make a Killing” and I think you will too if you like a good thriller with some dark comedic elements.

If you’re seen “How to Make a Killing,” let me know what you thought of it in the comments and subscribe to Pop Commentary for more film and TV reviews like this!