Glen Powell’s Largely Ignored 2026 Thriller Is Finally Finding An Audience On HBO Max – SlashFilm

Because the wealth hole grows exponentially, informal mentions of killing, consuming, or in any other case dispatching the wealthy have grow to be commonplace amongst an more and more pissed off populace who, because of social media, are extra attuned to the life of the rich than ever earlier than. Properly, in 2026, Glen Powell got down to just do that: kill the wealthy. Sadly — or maybe fittingly — his killing spree did not make anybody a lot cash. His satirical crime thriller “The best way to Make a Killing” earned $21.3 million in theaters on a $15 million finances, which, given how the field workplace and Hollywood accounting truly works, means the movie in all probability did not flip a revenue, particularly after factoring within the advertising prices. Now, nonetheless, Powell’s darkish comedy is having fun with a modest reprieve on HBO Max.

The film is directed by John Patton Ford (“Emily the Felony”), who took his inspiration from the 1949 British movie “Variety Hearts and Coronets.” Robert Hamer’s basic was loosely based mostly on Roy Horniman’s 1907 novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Felony” and noticed Dennis Worth embark on a mission to take out his wealthy relations to safe his ascendence to the dukedom. It is a sensible, bleak comedy that options Alec Guinness in eight separate roles as the varied members of the D’Ascoyne household.

“The best way to Make a Killing” would not ask as a lot of Powell or any of its spectacular solid. As an alternative, it shifts the narrative to fashionable-day New York, the place Powell’s blue-collar go well with salesman Becket Redfellow units out to homicide his kinfolk and declare the $28 billion Redfellow fortune. Sadly, Ford’s model of this story debuted to lackluster opinions and, as talked about, disappointing field workplace numbers. However there’s loads to love concerning the movie, which is why you may take into account becoming a member of the HBO Max crowds in giving this one a glance.

Alongside Glenn Powell, “The best way to Make a Killing” contains a stellar solid, with Margaret Qualley enjoying Becket Redfellow’s childhood buddy Julia Steinway. In the meantime, the loathsome members of the Redfellow clan are performed by Jessica Henwick, Invoice Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, and Ed Harris, all of whom ship of their comparatively small roles. However based mostly on its streaming success, clearly Powell’s secret remake of a comedy masterpiece has much more optimistic points.

Like Dennis Worth’s Louis Mazzini earlier than him, Becket is impressed to go after his rightful inheritance after the demise of his mom, Mary Redfellow (Nell Williams). Earlier than that, Mary — who was disowned by her household on account of a teen being pregnant — inspired her son to battle for what he deserves. It is solely after operating into Julia, nonetheless, that he critically considers killing his method to the fortune that awaits. Thus begins Becket’s quest to homicide “seven wealthy pricks,” as he places it.

The ensuing escapade wasn’t met with a lot fanfare when it hit theaters domestically in February 2026. It additionally didn’t drum up a lot assist in the UK or France when it arrived there the next month. Now, nonetheless, “The best way to Make a Killing” has premiered on HBO Max, and folk lastly appear to be . After hitting the streaming service on June 19, 2026, the film pulled a Becket Redfellow, slaying each movie that stood in its manner on probably the most-watched film charts to assert its rightful place on the high. Per streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol, on the time of writing, “The best way to Make a Killing” has been primary on the USA film chart since June 21 and sits at quantity three on the general HBO Max rankings.

John Patton Ford, Glen Powell, and A24 certainly had increased hopes for “The best way to Make a Killing” than streaming success. However on the very least, this implies extra persons are being uncovered to a film that, regardless of a lower than stellar vital response, provided loads to love.

A forty five% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes is not precisely one of the best commercial for the movie’s high quality, however do not let the Tomatometer be the only real deciding issue right here. As /Movie’s Invoice Bria put it in his “The best way to Make a Killing” assessment, “Powell understands he is key to the movie’s tone and satire, and performs it good.” With that in thoughts, this may be considered one of Powell’s finest performances, even when the remainder of the movie would not at all times match his degree of high quality.

That stated, loads of critics did take pleasure in “The best way to Make a Killing.” Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Instances discovered the movie’s opening to be “so robust that it buys sufficient viewers goodwill to coast by means of practically its whole operating time.” The Day by day Beast’s Nick Schager was equally complimentary when he wrote, “It won’t ship hilariously deadly blows, however it’s good and spikey sufficient to depart a pleasurably painful mark.” The optimistic opinions weren’t fairly as effusive because the filmmakers may need hoped, however when coupled with the film’s HBO Max success, it paints a extra optimistic image. 

“The best way to Make a Killing” is on the market to stream on HBO Max proper now.