First reactions have arrived for How to Make a Killing, a new dark comedy thriller film starring Glen Powell.

Powell plays Becket Redfellow, a man on a personal mission of revenge in the A24 movie. After being disowned at birth by his ultra-wealthy family, Becket was left with no choice but to live a blue-collar life. Now, he sees an opportunity to change his social standing by killing all the relatives standing in the way of the inheritance he is determined to reclaim. The cast also includes Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Ed Harris, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, and Topher Grace.

How to Make a Killing‘s first reactions are generally positive, with many critics praising the performances of Powell and Qualley. Rachel Leishman praises it for being “a thrilling and exciting dark comedy” that “reminds me of American Psycho, so utter perfection.” As for the cast, she describes Powell’s portrayal of Becket as “charming, twisted, and an addicting character to embark on this journey with” and celebrates “Qualley’s slightly deranged energy” that she brings to playing Becket’s childhood friend, Julia Steinway.

Tessa Smith is also impressed by Powell and Qualley’s performances, describing their chemistry as “electric.” She also notes that “The kills are bonkers & I somehow found myself rooting for” Becket, along with teasing a shocking ending. Jairo Jiménez hails the film for being “A biting, addictive satire” featuring Powell’s “astonishingly twisted & magnetic charisma — this is one of his best performances yet — w/ explosive chemistry alongside an incredible Margaret Qualley.”

A more mixed response comes from Adriano Caporusso, who finds that How to Make a Killing is “a simple, sloppy, but notably fun crime caper, with Glen Powell’s charm elevating often underwritten material into something more engaging.” Matt Neglia‘s reaction has a similar sentiment, acknowledging that the film “has its fun moments and moves at a confident, smooth pace, but that slickness also skirts past some of the more intriguing aspects of the story.”

How to Make a Killing is directed and written by John Patton Ford, whose previous credits include the Aubrey Plaza-led 2022 crime thriller Emily the Criminal and the 2010 short film Patrol. The upcoming movie, which will be released in US theaters on February 20, was previously titled Huntington.

This is Glen Powell’s first movie since Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man, which made its theatrical debut in November 2025. The adaptation of the Stephen King novel received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. While How to Make a Killing is not a major studio blockbuster, it is an opportunity for the actor to deliver another critical and commercial hit after his previous success with Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, and Twisters.

How to Make a Killing is not releasing during a particularly competitive debut weekend, but it will have to contend with several high-profile movies during their second week in theaters. Valentine’s Day weekend features the releases of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights, Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo’s Crime 101, the animated sports movie Goat, Sam Rockwell’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, and Liam Neeson’s Cold Storage.