How to Make a Killing: Jessica Henwick Teases Behind-the-Scenes Script Shaping With the Cast [INTERVIEW]
How To Make A Killing hits theaters this weekend and The Mary Sue had a chance to interview the cast of the upcoming A24 Movie. Glen Powell is at the top of the billing for How To Make A Killing. But, Jessica Henwick plays a crucial role in the film.
Our Rachel Leishman asked the star about her character Ruth. It seems like there would be a temptation for her to be riding along with Powell’s Becket Redfellow. But, she’s got her own agency and place in the narrative.
Henwick’s teacher can be an island of sanity among the more extravagant Redfellow men. However, that doesn’t mean that is out of place. In fact, far from it. Ruth is able to synthesize a lot of Beckett’s journey through the film. Powell offered some encouragement, Henwick really drilled down into what makes this teacher tick. The script also played a massive role in crafting Ruth’s place in this chaotic world. ( Kind of standard operating procedure in an A24 movie.) Here’s what she had to say.
“Yeah, it was important to me that it didn’t feel like she was just along for the ride. She has her own journey,” Henwick told us. “And Glen was, I remember you were really great when we first met, and you were like, is there anything that bumps you? Let’s work on it right now. Every character, what did you say? The script is only as good as the sum of its parts. So, we actually workshopped it quite a bit and and wrote some pieces for our characters”
How to Make a Killing is another dashing entry from A24
Movies about conflicts with elites are all the rage right now. You don’t have to look very far for stories of people from an underclass rising up against people holding them down. One subtle quirk of How to Make a Killing lies with how it treats Beckett as a protagonist. It’s easy to find yourself cheering on Glen Powell giving these out of touch rich people their just desserts. However, he isn’t doing it out of some sense of nobility. Rather, he’s out for revenge because that’s what he feels like he’s owed. It might start out feeling like this is a righteous quest, but is it?
Our Rachel Leishman reviewed the film and praised John Patton Ford for his take on chasing the American Dream by any means necessary. It’s not at all cut and dry. And, if you love Powell’s recent work, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here as well. Beyond inspired kills and slick cinematography, lies the question of what justice really looks like.
“Becket isn’t a cold blooded killer but a man who just wanted justice and goes about it in the wrong way. A very wrong way but still,” Leishman argues. “And it is a fascinating look at greed. Becket goes through many evolutions in the film and at one point, he’s incredibly well off even without the inheritance. It shows director and writer John Patton Ford’s ability to weave in layers to the “greed” of the film.”
(featured image: A24)
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