How to Make a Killing (2026): Reviews, Box Office & Streaming

It’s a familiar story: a buzzy indie studio, a rising star, and a dark comedy that sounds like a sure bet. But when A24 rolled out How to Make a Killing in 2026, the math didn’t add up — with an opening weekend of roughly $3.6 million across 1,700 screens, the Glen Powell vehicle landed in sixth place and quickly earned the label of box-office flop.

Release year: 2026 · Director: John Patton Ford · Genre: Black comedy thriller · Distributor: A24 · Lead actor: Glen Powell

The following table collects confirmed specifications about the film.

Is How to Make a Killing a good film?

Critic reception

• The film holds a 48% Rotten Tomatoes score, indicating mixed critical reception (World of Reel).
• Reviews often note the dark comedic tone but criticise a predictable plot.

Early reviews from trade publications describe How to Make a Killing as “entertaining but formulaic,” though no major critic has delivered a definitive verdict. The Ankler’s box office analysis focused on commercial failure rather than artistic merit (The Ankler).

Audience reception

• Audience scores are not yet widely aggregated, but early chatter on social platforms is polarised.
• Some viewers praise Glen Powell’s performance; others find the script underwhelming.

Pros and cons

The implication: How to Make a Killing is a decent but not standout entry in A24’s catalog. Its strengths lie in performance and atmosphere; its weakness is a story that feels recycled.

Was How to Make a Killing a flop?

Box office performance

• Opening weekend: ~$3.6 million on ~1,700 screens, finishing sixth at the domestic box office (The Ankler).
• By its second Thursday, the film earned $125,000 domestically — a 44.6% drop from the previous week (Koimoi).
• After 14 days, the domestic total reached $7.08 million (Koimoi).

Three numbers, one pattern: A wide release that launched quietly and then fell off a cliff. For context, A24 acquired the film from StudioCanal for a reported $5 million (The Ankler), meaning the film is still tens of millions away from recouping its full production and marketing costs.

Comparison to other 2026 flops

• How to Make a Killing underperformed alongside Psycho Killer, another A24 release that also struggled (World of Reel).

Why this matters: A24’s 2026 lineup has been marked by two high-profile misses, raising questions about the studio’s ability to scale its brand beyond arthouse audiences.

Reasons for underperformance

• The film reportedly carried mixed buzz after its festival screenings.
• A crowded February release window squeezed screen share.
• Marketing may have failed to differentiate the film from other dark comedies.

The catch: Even a $5 million acquisition cost becomes a liability when the film can’t break out of the single-digit millions domestic.

What is How to Make a Killing about?

Plot summary

• The film is a black comedy thriller about a man who inherits a fortune after a series of suspicious deaths (World of Reel).
• Set in modern-day America, it follows a young heir who may have hastened his own inheritance.

The narrative echoes the classic “murder-for-money” trope but transplants it into a contemporary world of credit scores and estate lawyers.

Themes and tone

• Dark humor throughout, with A24’s signature stylistic sheen.
• Explores greed, family dysfunction, and the moral cost of wealth.

The implication: The updated setting and modernized plot do little to differentiate the film from its source material.

What is How to Make a Killing based on?

Inspiration from Kind Hearts and Coronets

• The film is inspired by the 1949 British Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (World of Reel).
• That film featured Alec Guinness playing eight members of a family systematically eliminated by a distant relative.

The original is widely considered a masterpiece of British cinema.

Changes from the original

• How to Make a Killing updates the setting to present-day America.
• The number of victims and the inheritance size are modernised.
• The protagonist’s motivation is more explicitly financial.

What this means: The adaptation is faithful in spirit but lacks the original’s innovative structure and multiple-roles gimmick that made Kind Hearts iconic.

Where can I watch How to Make a Killing?

Streaming availability

• The film is streaming on A24’s own platform (The Ankler).
• It is also available for digital rental and purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other PVOD services.

A24’s distribution strategy leans heavily on its direct-to-consumer channel, which limits the film’s reach compared to a wide Netflix deal.

Digital purchase and rental

• Rental price: $5.99 HD
• Purchase price: $14.99 HD

Given the tepid box office, the digital window arrived quickly — within 30 days of theatrical release.

The pattern: A24 is protecting its own platform, but for the film to reach break-even, it needs a broader SVOD deal. For now, your options are rental or a subscription to A24’s service.

Timeline of How to Make a Killing

• July 2024 — Principal photography takes place (World of Reel)
• 2025 (pre-production) — Film announced with John Patton Ford directing (World of Reel)
• February 2026 — Theatrical release on ~1,700 screens (World of Reel)
• March 2026 — Reports of box office flop emerge; domestic total $7.08 million after 14 days (Koimoi)

Why this matters: The rapid post-release coverage of its failure overshadowed any positive word-of-mouth, effectively killing the film’s second life.

A24’s latest dark comedy stumbled out of the gate with a $3.6 million opening weekend.

— The Ankler

The film currently holds a 48% score on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling mixed critical reception.

— World of Reel

For A24, the underperformance of How to Make a Killing is a warning sign that even a proven star and a classic blueprint can’t guarantee mainstream success. The choice is clear: either double down on auteur-driven niche films or rethink the wide-release strategy that has produced two flops in a single season, while Glen Powell’s career takes another hit from a second straight box-office disappointment.

Additional technical details and box office data are provided in the table below.

For a German perspective on the film’s reception, check out this How to Make a Killing review that delves into its box office performance and critical response.

Frequently asked questions

Six common questions about How to Make a Killing answered.