How to Make a Killing: Glen Powell Leads A24 Dark Comedy
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Glen Powell is stepping into his darkest, funniest role yet in 'How to Make a Killing,' the new A24 dark comedy-thriller from writer-director John Patton Ford. The film, which arrived on streaming on June 19, follows a blue-collar everyman who hatches an increasingly twisted plan to inherit a fortune, and the official trailer has fans buzzing about what may be one of the most talked-about A24 releases of 2026.
What 'How to Make a Killing' is about
The premise is pure pitch-black comedy. Powell plays a working-class man who realizes that the only thing standing between him and a massive family inheritance is a handful of estranged relatives. So he sets out, methodically and disastrously, to remove them from the equation. What begins as a desperate scheme quickly spirals into a morality tale dressed up as a heist, with the body count rising alongside the laughs.
It is the kind of high-concept, character-driven story A24 has built its reputation on: a genre framework bent into something stranger and more human. Ford, who previously earned acclaim for his sharp eye on money, class, and desperation, leans into the tension between the mundane and the murderous, mining dark humor from a man in way over his head.
The cast
Powell leads an ensemble stacked with talent. Margaret Qualley co-stars, bringing her signature unpredictability, while Jessica Henwick adds another layer to the tangled family dynamics. Veteran actor Ed Harris anchors the film as the looming patriarch whose fortune sets the entire plot in motion. The chemistry teased in the trailer suggests a cast fully committed to the material's uneasy blend of comedy and threat.
For Powell, the role marks another deliberate swing away from straightforward leading-man fare. After breaking out as one of Hollywood's most bankable young stars, he has been steadily choosing projects that complicate his charm, and a scheming, in-over-his-head antihero fits that strategy perfectly.
Why fans are excited
The trailer leans into the film's tonal tightrope, cutting between genuinely funny beats and moments of real menace. That balance is exactly what has fans talking. A24's brand promises something that resists easy categorization, and 'How to Make a Killing' appears to deliver a movie that is equal parts crowd-pleaser and uncomfortable character study.
Powell's casting is also a major draw. His ability to make even morally questionable characters likeable gives the film a built-in hook: audiences may find themselves rooting for a man doing genuinely terrible things, which is precisely the discomfort the story seems designed to exploit.
Where it fits in A24's 2026 slate
'How to Make a Killing' lands during a strong stretch for A24, which has continued to dominate the conversation among film fans who crave originality over franchise fare. By pairing a rising A-list star with a distinctive director and a wicked premise, the studio is betting that word-of-mouth and Powell's drawing power will turn the film into a streaming standout and a future cult favorite.
Reactions and early buzz
Early reactions to the trailer have praised its confident tone and the strength of the ensemble, with many viewers singling out the interplay between Powell and Harris. Comparisons have already been drawn to other dark comedies about greed and family dysfunction, though fans are quick to note that the specific blend of class commentary and gallows humor feels fresh in Ford's hands.
What's next
With the film now available to stream, the conversation turns to whether 'How to Make a Killing' can build the kind of slow-burn momentum that has defined A24's biggest hits. If the full film lives up to the trailer's promise, it could become one of the most discussed dark comedies of the year and another feather in Glen Powell's increasingly eclectic cap. For fans of twisty, morally murky storytelling, it is essential viewing for the summer of 2026.
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