Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.
Glen Powell radiates a natural charisma that’s rare among today’s movie stars, blending the everyman warmth of Harrison Ford with the gritty charm of Kevin Costner. Unlike typical action leads who thrive mainly on adrenaline-fueled scenes, Powell’s range sets him apart—he moves easily between action, comedy, and scenes with real emotional weight. Watching him shift from supporting roles to a convincing leading man has been genuinely rewarding; he makes the leap look almost effortless.
His latest appearance in “The Running Man” didn’t impress critics or draw crowds, yet Powell’s own work is faultless—he fully invests in his character, providing the film’s strongest anchor. Once again, his latest performance is a standout, but the movie itself stumbles because the script can’t settle on a tone. It wavers between drama, dark comedy, and an uneasy mix of both, resulting in a film that aims for multiple genres but never quite masters any.
The story follows Becket Redfellow (played by Powell), whose mother was banished by her ultra-wealthy family when she decided to keep her baby rather than give him up at eighteen. Her father, Whitelaw (Ed Harris), forced her to choose: her son or her family’s fortune. She picked her child, raising Becket alone until her early death. Left parentless, Becket moves through foster care before forging his own path.
Becket’s life takes a turn while he’s working at a suit shop in New York, where he reconnects with Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), an old friend. Julia reveals that, despite his mother’s exile, Becket is still in line for his family’s massive $28 billion estate. With seven relatives ahead of him, he sets out to claim the wealth he believes belongs to him and his mother.
The setup hints at a sharp, dark satire in the vein of “Ready or Not,” “Saltburn,” or “Trading Places.” But the film’s biggest issue is that it never confidently settles on a tone. It zigzags between attempts at sharp humor and sudden detours into drama or social critique, making the pacing feel off and the film strangely unsteady.
Even so, Powell’s performance keeps viewers engaged. Yet as Becket’s fortunes rise—securing a great job, a loving fiancée, and a desirable apartment—his relentless pursuit of money starts to seem less defensible. The story loses our rooting interest in him; instead of cheering him on as an underdog or flawed hero, we start questioning why we should care about his quest, which weakens our connection to his story.
There are moments where the humor lands, but they’re too infrequent to give the film real bite. It feels as though writer-director John Patton Ford had a solid concept but was reluctant to fully embrace either a dark, pointed satire or a sobering critique of wealth and excess. The end result is a movie that has its moments but struggles to leave a lasting impression. Walking out of the theater, you’re more likely to remember other films that tackled these themes with sharper focus and bolder choices.
In Theaters Friday, February 20th
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