Film Review: "How to Make a Killing" (2026)

Glen Powell makes a great 1960's crook caper film in 2026.

Margaret Qualley is everywhere since The Substance, isn’t she?

Some excellent films survive on one clever Matilda-can-do-magic twist. How to Make a Killing seems determined to deliver one surprise after another. Every time I thought I knew where the story was heading, it tricked me and veered somewhere else more fascinating. That’s one of my favourite qualities in a film: keep me guessing, screenwriter(s).

One of the things I appreciated most is that nobody in this story, outside of the uncle, pretends to be a good person. So many films built around morally questionable characters still pause every so often to reassure the audience that someone has a heart of gold after all doing cute little do gooder things. Here, the characters are refreshingly unapologetic 24/7. They’re self-interested, opportunistic, awful, rotten, and perfectly willing to make terrible decisions looking out for number one. Rather than making the film unpleasant, it actually makes it far more entertaining. I can meet nice people every day. Show me your worst.

Despite the murder at the centre of the story, much of the setup feels surprisingly grounded. Strip away the criminal element, and the situations themselves aren’t especially far fetched, OK, and with it, plenty you might find in the New York crime news. That touch of realism helps sell everything else the film asks the audience to accept in surrealism.

Glen “one N in the first name” Powell is also excellent here. His performance reminded me of the great dark comedies and caper films of the 1960’s, those weird movies that shouldn’t exist, but hey, they do, looking at you, North by Northwest. There’s a confidence and rhythm to his performance that feels like a home run modern take on that era without becoming an imitation.

I had a great time with it on HBO Max expecting a meh movie, and it’s a film I would happily watch again.