Spoiler-Free Review of “How to Make a Killing” in Theaters: A Charming Dark Comedy

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“I should warn you…it’s a tragedy.”

How to Make a Killing is a dark comedy thriller film that released on February 20th 2026. The film stars Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Topher Grace, and Ed Harris. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Becket Redfellow is down on his luck and makes the rash decision to change his circumstances, leading him to contemplate murdering his relatives one by one to finally get what he has been entitled to for all these years.

Here is the trailer:

How to Make a Killing is a fun dark comedy featuring a terrific performance by Glen Powell. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of A24

Glen Powell is brilliant!

I’ve been a fan of his since the Scream Queens days and while he has certainly gotten a lot of terrific roles lately, I’ve been waiting to see him in something a little more suited to his talents and I think we got that with this film.

He was the BEST part of this movie and had twisted charisma that worked perfectly with this character. I’d love to see him take on more roles like this in the future, embracing his dark side a little bit.

Margaret Qualley is always a joy to watch and I hope to see Jessica Henwick in more too. We definitely got a great cast here!

Images courtesy of A24

Doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The dark humor really worked well in this film. This could have easily felt very boring and dragged out, but instead there was such an entertaining quality to it. I never looked at the time even once. When films embrace what they should be and just go with it effortlessly, that’s when we often get magic on screen and I thought this film captured the vibe it was going for in a delightful way without trying to do too much.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of A24

Mixed feelings on the ending.

It wasn’t bad by any means, but I guess I was expecting something different at the end of this film. Overall, I really enjoyed everything so I wouldn’t say this was a major con, but I was anticipating something a little bit more cheeky at the very end.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of A24

I’m in!

How to Make a Killing is absolutely delightful and a pleasant surprise!

Glen Powell showed off his diabolical charm with style.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would and definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for something American Psycho-lite.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on How to Make a Killing in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Cuckoo” in Theaters: Trippy and Tense!

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“We’re very happy you’re here…”

Cuckoo released in theaters on August 9th 2024. The psychological horror mystery film stars Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, and Marton Csokas. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-three minutes.

When Gretchen moves in with her father and his family in Germany, she agrees to take a job working at a resort, but she soon fears she is being stalked by a mystery woman, unlocking haunting secrets in the process.

Here is the trailer:

Cuckoo lures its audience into a deranged mystery, featuring note-worthy performances by its two leads. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Creepy and unsettling!

This film did a terrific job of creating a sense of fear and dread. There were quite a few spine-tingling moments that had me on the edge of my seat. I was genuinely terrified in the best way possible. The mystery was also really unique, keeping me hooked until the end.

Images courtesy of Neon

Chilling performances!

I came for Dan Stevens and he delivered, proving once again that he is an unstoppable force in film. I loved him in Abigail and he put forth another charismatic (yet completely unhinged) performance, allowing this film to shine that much more.

Hunter Schafer was a nice surprise. I thought she gave a believable performance and I was rooting for her every step of the way. I hope to see her in more horror films soon because she really excelled here.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

The first half is stronger than the second half.

While I was entertained from start to finish, I much preferred the first half of this film. Things were a lot more terrifying when I didn’t know what was going on. Once we got to the reveals and everything was out in the open, it lost a little bit of edge for me. I still thought it was insane and intriguing at the same time, but I lost that consuming feeling of fear from the beginning of the movie, changing its overall impact slightly.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m in!!!

Cuckoo is a twisted and bonkers watch!

It was different than what I expected, but I enjoyed it overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Cuckoo in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Royal Hotel” on Demand: A Vacation Gone Wrong

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You’re here on vacation?”

The Royal Hotel released in limited theaters on October 6th 2023 and is currently available to stream on demand as of October 23rd 2023. The thriller-drama film stars Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving, Toby Wallace, James Frecheville, and Daniel Henshall. It runs for approximately 90 minutes.

Hanna and Liv are having the time of their lives vacationing in Australia, but when they wind up short on cash, they agree to take a temporary job bartending in a remote Outback mining town that puts them in danger.

Here is the trailer:

The Royal Hotel features two gripping performances in a chilling setting, but does all the buildup lead to anything worthwhile? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Neon

Two worthy leads.

The best part of this film was the two strong performances by Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick. They were both very believable and portrayed some heavy stuff in tense situations. I wish they were given a little bit more content to work with here, but I enjoyed their performances and they elevated this film in a lot of ways.

A setting and premise with loads of potential.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was so beyond excited to watch it. It screamed vibes of Wolf Creek and Brokedown Palace. We had a really good set-up and some intense moments built in, but the end result wasn’t what I was expecting…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Neon

Not sure why this was billed as a thriller?

Sure, there were some intense moments here and there, but I was super frustrated with this film because it felt like we were building up to an insane climax and then the end result was lukewarm at best. It just never really went anywhere…

This really should have been billed as a drama instead. I think that it will disappoint an audience looking for an actual thriller. The drama wasn’t bad, but setting up that expectation made this a confusing watch for me.

Lacked necessary character layers.

I didn’t need that many, but some would have been nice, especially since our two leads are incredibly talented and basically carried this movie. I needed to know more about why they were in Australia in the first place and maybe some crucial moments between them in their past could have explained some of the tension building throughout the film.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Neon

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I think that people will either love or hate this film. I’m somewhere in the middle of that. It wasn’t bad by any means and I actually thoroughly enjoyed the performances by our two main leads, but I wanted SO MUCH MORE!

Julia Garner needed to unleash her inner Ruth Langmore from Ozark to give this movie some serious edge.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Royal Hotel in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!