How to Make a Killing

One of the coolest and best-paced films in a minute, How to Make a Killing proves Emily the Criminal was no fluke for writer/director John Patton Ford.

Another David vs. Goliath look at capitalism that doesn't shy away from the risks of fighting the system, this loose adaptation of the Alec Guinness classic Kind Hearts and Coronets ably harnesses the wild rags-to-riches vibe of The Wolf of Wall Street with rich family drama and amateur assassin antics smoothly mixed in.

Simpatico with this darkly comedic tone is Glen Powell, delivering his best performance since Hit Man — thanks in no small part to Ford’s script dropping him into similar chameleonic situations. As his ostracized heir Becket Redfellow methodically knocks off unprepared cousins, aunts, and uncles on his way to grandfather Whitelaw (Ed Harris), Powell maintains a quirky underdog appeal even as the body count rises.

Those all but assured future corpses are played by such smartly cast actors as Bill Camp, Topher Grace, Zach Woods (Silicon Valley), and veteran stage and TV performer Bianca Amato. But good luck guessing how each person meets their end, or if it indeed comes at the hands of Becket.

The same goes for precisely why he’s oddly bereft of stress while confessing his misdeeds to death row priest Father Morris (Adrian Lukis, Toast of London) as the seconds precariously tick down to his execution.

All will be revealed in its own time, accompanied at critical junctures by Margaret Qualley, further growing her range as heartless femme fatale and Becket’s childhood crush Julia Steinway, and Jessica Henwick (Cuckoo) as his far more suitable match Ruth.

With this gifted ensemble working at such a high level under Ford’s direction and looking great thanks to cinematographer Todd Banhazl (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), How to Make a Killing breezes to a tantalizing open-ended conclusion. Speculate all you want at what comes next — the filmmaker wisely isn't providing any answers.

Grade: B-plus. Rated R. Now playing at Carolina Cinemark and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: A24)