Another Monday, another mystery movie at Landmark!
Tonight’s feature was How to Make a Killing, a very funny title. Of course murder is central to the plot, but so is the financial meaning behind making a killing. Glen Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, who is born into a wealthy family worth billions, but whose mother, and thus himself, was disowned by her father after she fell in love and became pregnant by a man deemed unworthy of the family billions. His mother dies when he is a child, and he stumbles through the foster system and works in retail, catering to the needs of the ultra wealthy he would be rubbing elbows with if he weren’t the black sheep. Before she died, his mother told him the only way he could inherit the fortune would be if his grandfather and the 6 other heirs died before him.
Cue the killing!
As he gets more acquainted with the lifestyle of his estranged family, he goes from being appalled to wanting to be a part of it. And if any of this lifestyle seems normal to anyone I know, I either don’t want to know you anymore, or I expect an invitation to the next bash. I’m not quite sure yet, but the lifestyle is over-the-top extravagant. I do like that the movie is basically a commentary on capitalism, such as, “how much is enough?”
The movie is based on a 1950 British film, “Kind Hearts and Coronets” which was based on a 1907 novel, “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal” by Roy Horniman. The play “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” was based on the same novel. I’ve seen the stage play before, and did not make the connection until I read about it the day after I saw the movie. So while it was not an original plot, the screenplay and premise was unique enough that it piques your interest.
There were a lot of questions I had towards the end of the movie, including the logistics of… well, I can’t give the ending away now, can I?
Coincidentally, this movie has appearances by two children of Hollywood stars in Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell, and Raff Law, son of Jude Law. Qualley is brilliant, if not a bit over the top as Julia, a conniving childhood friend of Becket. Though Qualley gets second billing, she is on screen less than love interest played by Jessica Henwick. Julia’s bad-girl image is a mirror to Henwick’s saintliness. Law plays one of Becket’s cousins, so he has even less screen time. One of my favorite actors of the past 20 years, Topher Grace, gets about 10 minutes of screentime, but he shines in those 10 minutes. Grace plays one of Becket’s cousins as well.
Powell does a fair job in this complex role eliciting laughs where appropriate, but also making you feel sorry for him and questioining his decisions at the same time. As the movie reaches its conclusion, you wonder, who is the real villain here?
The premise seems basic to me: no matter how good you are, how high your morals seem, money can change your priorities. What do you think?
My opinion: Entertaining premise, not an award winner, but the cast and cynicism make it worth streaming on our platform of choice.
Sravanthi Meka 