Gardening, Snow-Gauge Clif, Spring

Farewell, Snow-Gauge Clif!

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Last Wednesday, the weather gods had a little surprise for central Maine.

That’s right, snow. Just a dusting, and nothing to get too excited about.

Although I love spring, I’m always sorry to see the last of winter, and I was glad for this final (I think!) bit of snow that left its lovely print on the garden.

But by Sunday, all the snow was gone, and it is time to say farewell to Snow-Gauge Clif. There is no more snow to measure.

I know some readers are worried about what Snow-Gauge Clif will do now that his snow-measuring is done until next year. Never fear! At our home by the edge of the woods, there are jobs aplenty when the snow is gone.

Enter, Yard-Work Clif.

Even though we only own an acre of land, it seems as though there is always something that needs doing, if not in the yard, then to the house. And usually, there is much left undone when winter rolls around again. Clif has a multitude of chores to keep him busy.

With the snow gone from the yard, it was time for me to dig around my leaf-mulched garden beds to see what was what, and I got quite a little surprise. The perennials have apparently decided that, despite the dusting of snow, spring is here, a good two weeks earlier than it was back in the day. We have lived in this house for forty-two years, and I had developed a routine: raking the backyard as soon as it was dry enough—usually the middle of the month—and by the end of April or the beginning of May, start tending my beds.

But not this year. Here is what I found when I started removing the leaves from the bed in the backyard.

Now, for those of you who have flowers blooming in your garden, this probably doesn’t look very impressive. But for this central Maine gardener, it is astonishing. Not up there, perhaps, with the miracle of the loaves and fish, but pretty darned surprising nonetheless. I don’t ever remember seeing this much Iris growth so early.

Those of us who have lived and gardened in one place for many years—and I think forty-two qualifies as quite a few—have seen the changes brought about by the climate crisis, and it’s hard to get used to them.

Here’s another change: no mud this spring. In Maine, March and early April are synonymous with mud. Yes, I know. I should be grateful for a spring without mud, when I can go to the compost bin without having my shoe sucked off.

But it’s downright weird not to have mud in Maine in the spring, and it made me uneasy. Why the heck didn’t we have mud this year?

Turns out, I was right to be concerned. We didn’t have mud season this year because of two things, neither of them good for the water table: a premature melt of the snowpack and drought in 2025, which lowered the soil moisture. Fingers crossed that we get plenty of rain this summer.

Still, it’s nice to be in the yard, digging in the dirt and watching the birds come to the feeder, especially when one of them is a cardinal. For now, I’ll set my drought worries aside and enjoy being outside.

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Watching

The safe return of the spacecraft Artemis II was a joyous event for a country that hasn’t had much to celebrate lately. From the beaming astronauts—how happy they looked—to the breathtaking pictures of Earth and space, this journey to the dark side of the moon was thrilling from beginning to end.

By a happy coincidence, there is a movie out right now that celebrates space and science—Project Hail Mary, starring the great and good Ryan Gosling. The trailer will give readers who haven’t seen the movie a good sense of Project Hail Mary’s plot.

Clif and I have seen this movie twice, something we rarely do, no matter how much we like a movie. It is that rare film that is appropriate for those who are between twelve and eighty. How many movies appeal to such a broad age range? Not many, that’s for sure.

Listening

And for a little bonbon, here is “Two of Us” by the Beatles, a song that was perfectly featured in Project Hail Mary. Just happens to be one of my favorite songs by the Beatles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Environment, Snow-Gauge Clif, Spring

Last Week for Snow-Gauge Clif?

43 Comments

Well, folks, this might very well be the last week for Snow-Gauge Clif. The backyard is essentially snow-free, and this morning, when I took a picture of Clif, he was in a celebratory mood.

The front yard has a little more snow, but not much, and this is mostly where Clif piled the snow when he scooped the driveway.

And here’s a view of the front yard.

We shall see what the rest of the week brings, but by next Monday, that little patch of snow by the lamp might very well be gone, and the dirty snow by the driveway should at least be greatly diminished. As I’m sure readers have figured out, these are heady times at our house by the edge of the woods.

As I mentioned in a previous post, time was when we hoped that the snow on the patio would be gone by April 22, my daughter’s birthday. That way, we could have a celebratory drink outside in her honor. Some years, the snow was gone by April 22; some years it wasn’t. Last week’s post on March 30 illustrated that the snow was gone, and I don’t think it’s coming back. Even if we have an April snowstorm, it won’t add up to much and will melt quickly.

Last week’s photo of the patio.

Therefore, this year, snow-out on the patio was March 30, a full twenty-four days sooner than April 22, when we hoped the patio would be clear for Shannon’s birthday.

For contrast, here is a picture of the patio taken on April 12, 2015. Eleven years ago, this was normal.  Times. Have. Changed.

Readers might be wondering why we aren’t thrilled to have snow-out sooner, in March rather than in April. To some extent, we are. But remember, we live in the land of the ice and snow, and our climate really does resemble Sweden’s. Snow in winter and spring is normal for Maine. For us, five inches is nothing to get flapped about. It takes a foot or more to make us moan.

Also, an earlier spring leads to a hotter summer. Nowadays,  temperatures sometimes rise into the mid-90s and even higher. This, we absolutely hate. If we wanted to live in a hot climate, we would move south. But we don’t. Even though some people might find our cold weather challenging, Maine’s chilly climate suits us. I don’t dream of moving south. Instead, I dream of moving north.

However, central Maine is our home, and here we will stay. Thank goodness for the heat pumps we had installed last June. Not only do they not require fossil fuels to run, but they also keep the house nice and cool on unbearably hot and humid days.

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Looking

Art: Saltmarsh Moonrise by David Morgan

Last week, we met friends for drinks and a bite to eat at the Maine Evergreen Hotel in Augusta, where there is art for sale on every floor. Two weeks ago, our daughter Dee, an art lover extraordinaire, bought two paintings. Last week, she bought a very beautiful print, Saltmarsh Moonrise, by David Morgan.

Unfortunately, my phone camera did not capture this print well. My apologies. For a better view of this stunning picture, click here to go to Morgan’s website and scroll down.

Dee has all her new pictures hanging in her room—what lovely additions!—and she is done buying art.

At least for now.

 

 

 

 

Art, Movies, Snow-Gauge Clif, Spring

And Away It Goes!

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For those who don’t live in northern New England, it might seem as though Spring is taking her own sweet time to get here. But for Mainers, things are moving very fast indeed.

As a visual aid, here is a picture of the backyard last week.

Looks like a winter wonderland, doesn’t it? Except that the picture was taken on March 23, which is officially spring in the northern hemisphere.

But Spring hasn’t forgotten us after all. Here is the backyard this week, featuring Snow-Gauge Clif.

For this Mainer, that snow melted pretty darned fast.

And look! The snow on the patio is completely gone. Time was when we hoped it would be clear by April 22, our daughter Shannon’s birthday. Now, it often melts by the end of March, and somehow, I have a hard time wrapping my head around this. It just doesn’t seem normal, even though this has been the case for several years.

While the backyard is mostly snow-free, there are still patches by the shady side of the house where the ferns grow in the summer.

Now to the front yard, where there is more snow.

But even in the front yard, the snow has gone down a lot. Here is a longer view.

When will the snow be gone from the front yard? Hard to say. It all depends on how warm it gets, whether it rains, and—dare I mention it?—whether we get another snowstorm. And yes, Maine sometimes gets April snowstorms, which tend to be wet, heavy, and nasty.

One thing is certain: there is excitement aplenty at our home by the edge of the woods.

So stay tuned.

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Looking

Last week, I featured one of the paintings Dee bought at the Maine Evergreen Hotel in Augusta when we met friends and celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary. Dee bought two paintings, and here is the second one: a delicate pen-and-watercolor by Kate Casparius, quite different from the bold owl. Unfortunately, the camera on my phone doesn’t do this lovely painting justice. But it does give readers a sense of the range of work available at the Evergreen.

This Thursday, we will be meeting friends at the Evergreen, and Dee plans to buy a third painting.

Again, stay tuned.

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Watching

Documentary: Herb and Dorothy, Available on YouTube

Dee is crazy about art and buys a piece whenever she can afford it. So far, although some has spilled out to the rest of the house, there is room on the walls in her room for most of her art.

However, when it comes to buying art, some folks have less restraint than Dee. Enter Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a postal worker and a librarian, whose passion for art exceeded that of most everyday folks. In the 1960s, they decided that they could live on one salary and buy art with the other. And boy did they ever buy art. Their small New York City apartment was crammed full of it to the point where they had to get rid of their sofa to make room for more art.

If you haven’t already seen the documentary about this charming, generous, obsessed couple, do yourself a favor and watch Herb and Dorothy. In a world that is often crabbed and stingy, the Vogels stand out as a shining example of the best of what people can be, even if most of us don’t want to stuff that much art into our homes. Slight spoiler: The Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine has been the beneficiary of their generosity.

Birds, Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

Trust the birds

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Yesterday, March gave us one of its famous spring surprises—a wet, heavy snowstorm.

Here is yesterday’s view from the living room’s side window.

Being Mainers, we took the storm in stride. There are plenty of things to do inside, and the older we get, the longer it takes us to get them done. We always start the New Year with so many hopeful plans—decluttering, painting, patching—but we’re lucky if we get one-quarter of the projects done. Ditto for outside work when the weather warms up. We try not to let this bother us too much and to accept, with grace, the limits of our aging bodies. And mostly we do. But, darn, I would like to get a few more projects finished in any given season.

This morning, wearing boots and heavy coats, Clif and I headed outside for snow-gauge pictures.

As you can see, the snow is not gone as some readers thought it might be this week.

Not in the front yard,

and not in the backyard.

By Clif’s estimate—and I think he is right—the storm brought us five inches of snow. Because it is March, clean-up will be minimal: the front porch, most of the driveway, the cars. The snow on the front walkway and on the paths in the backyard will soon melt. No need to tend to them. That is the good thing about March in Maine. The snow never sticks around for very long.

And I do like the fetching bonnet the light in the front yard is wearing.

As I was taking pictures, I could hear the mighty chittering of the birds as they came to our backyard feeders. They can sense changes are coming, even if the ground is covered with snow once again.

“Trust the birds,” I said to myself.

After all, they know.

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Looking

Great Horned Owl by Barbara Chase

Thanks to you all for the many anniversary wishes. As several of you noted, next year will be a big one, and Clif and I are thinking about how to celebrate. It will most likely be in a simple way, because that’s how we roll, with a couple of special twists thrown in. Anyway, we have a year to plan,

In my last post, I mentioned that Dee bought some art at the Maine Evergreen Hotel in Augusta, Maine. On yesterday’s snowy Sunday, she hung them in her room, and here is a picture of one of them, a Great Horned Owl by Barbara Chase. (Next week, I’ll feature the other one she bought.)

Dee is not only keen on art but also on owls, and now she has one more for her collection.

 

 

 

Celebrate, Food

Our Forty-Ninth Wedding Anniversary

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Yesterday, on a day that started out snowy but cleared in the afternoon, we celebrated our forty-ninth wedding anniversary.

And, yes, forty-nine years seems like quite an accomplishment. A good one. But to be together with someone for that long is an odd thing. On one hand, our early days seem like they happened long, long ago. On the other hand, it seems like the years have rushed by. Time is funny like that.

To celebrate, we planned a busy day revolving around food, one of my favorite things to do. Since we eat light and healthy most days, we feel that we can splurge occasionally.

First, for lunch, we went to Wei Li restaurant in Auburn, about twenty miles away.

The food is so good, and we got our usual general bean curd, vegetable lo mein, and veggie spring rolls. I could have some right now.

But our plans did not end there. In the late afternoon, we made plans to meet friends at the Hearthside Vine & Tap at the Maine Evergreen Hotel in Augusta, Maine. Two years ago, a friend told me how nice this place was, and finally, we were getting around to checking it out. Sometimes, it can take me a while.

As soon as we walked into the lounge, we were smitten by the cozy yet classy atmosphere. This little corner in the lounge is where Dee, Clif, and I met our friends.

But the restaurant itself is nice, too.

And while the “nosh” menu is small, the food was excellent and reasonably priced. Clif and I shared a flatbread with sauce and cheese. Absolutely delicious. Dee and our friends liked what they had, too.

And the cherry on the sundae, so to speak, was the artwork displayed on every floor down every corridor of the Maine Evergreen Hotel. The artwork ranged from abstract to landscape, with a variety of prices. Something for everyone. Dee, who is crazy about art, bought two pieces. Right now, they are wrapped and in her closet. She plans to hang them this weekend, and when she does, I’ll snap a picture so you can see what she bought.

We all decided that Hearthside Vine & Tap is a great place to meet, and we will be going there regularly.

What a splendid way to celebrate forty-nine years!

 

Food, Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

March 9-15 in Photos: Sun, Stormy Weather, Snow-Gauge Clif, Ice Cream

50 Comments

The week started out with what was—for Maine in March—an astonishing temperature. It’s been a long time since it was that warm outside. Probably not since last September or October. However, since I don’t record the temperature on a daily basis, I’m not really sure.

In our backyard, there was the story of the incredible shrinking snow.

But, wait. This is March in Maine. Winter was not quite done with us, and we had a nice little snowstorm that left us with about three inches.

After so many years of living in Maine, we took the snow in stride. And while the temp never reached 70° again, the snow didn’t stick around.

By Sunday, when it was time for Snow-Gauge Clif to do his thing, here’s what the backyard looked like.

While the front yard has more snow, there’s been a definite reduction. And, look! Despite the March snowstorm, the driveway is nearly clear.

With temps in the 40s, we decided that once Snow-Gauge Clif had dispatched his duties, we would cap off this fine day with a trip to Fielder’s Choice for an ice cream.

On the way, we saw a sap bucket, a sure sign of spring.

This inspired me to get a maple sundae—maple walnut ice cream drizzled with maple syrup. No, it was not too sweet. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember ever having a dessert that was too sweet, and the sundae was good to the last bite.

What will next week bring, I wonder. I’m not sure about the weather. Unfortunately, a wind storm is predicted. But also something festive at the end of the week.

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Movies, Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

Marchy March and Snow-Gauge Clif

51 Comments

How things change from one week to another. Last week, it still looked and felt like winter—the air was cold, and the snow sparkled. But Spring has her eyes on us, and yesterday, the temperature shot up to 60°F.  Holy cats, it was so warm that I went outside without a jacket.

Now that we have entered this time purgatory in Maine, the snow is no longer lovely and sparkling. Instead, it’s packed down hard, and the snow banks…well, the snowbanks look like this:

But nearly every place has its challenging months—maybe Hawaii doesn’t?—and in Maine, we must suffer through March to get to April, when Spring truly begins.

Still, even in this soggy, dirty time, there are hopeful signs that Spring is just around the corner. The other day, I heard the male cardinal singing his spring song. Such a lovely sound. And the ice on the pathways has started to melt, making walking on them so much easier.

Now to Snow-Gauge Clif.

We have decided that while Clif’s snow gauge might be charming, it is not, ahem, the most accurate way to measure snow.  There’s a solid wedge of snow between the top cover and the ground, and the snow gauge can’t break through that wedge. Therefore, the snow gauge will be used as a visual cue rather than as an accurate measurement tool.

In the front yard, the snow hasn’t melted much, but the driveway is much clearer. Progress!

Here he is in the sunnier backyard, where we are seeing some more progress, at least on the pathways.

Rain is in the forecast for this week, and perhaps it will wear some of the snow away in our shady yard. However, March often has a sneaky way of bringing us wet, heavy snowstorms that can knock out power.

So only time will tell! Stay tuned for next week with Snow-Gauge Clif.

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Watching

Movie: It Was Just an Accident, an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film

The 2026 Academy Awards ceremony will be televised next Sunday, March 15. As movie buffs, we are always interested in seeing nominated films, and although we never manage to see them all, we do a pretty good job of seeing most. This week, It Was Just an Accident was on our roster. To borrow from an old saying, better late than never. As it turned out, this Iranian film was my absolute favorite of the year.

Now, I am certainly aware of the significance of my choice. After all, the U.S. is pounding the crap out of Iran, which in turn is pounding the crap out of its neighbors. A horrible, brutal mess with implications that might be with us for a long while.

But I did not choose It Was Just an Accident because of its political significance. Instead, I loved this movie because of the skill of its director, Jafar Panahi—his humanism, his humor, and his wisdom in telling what is essentially a grim story.

A brief synopsis: A man, Eghbal, and his family are driving on a dark road at night. First, he runs over and kills a dog, then his car breaks down. He brings it to a local garage to be fixed. Eghbal has a prosthetic leg, and when one of the mechanics, Vahid, hears it squeak as Eghbal walks, this sets off a chain of events. Vahid is certain he remembers that awful squeak from when he was in an Iranian prison, and that this is the man who tortured him.

Determined to kill Eghbal, Vahid kidnaps him and plans to bury him alive. But when Eghbal insists he is innocent, Vahid begins to have doubts. Knocking Eghbal out, Vahid stuffs him into a large box in his van and sets out to find others who might be able to confirm that this is indeed the right man.

What follows is a darkly comic series of events as Vahid acquires a group of folks who have been tortured by a man with a squeaky prosthetic leg. But is it this man? They were all blindfolded when they were tortured, and no one saw his face.

One of the funniest scenes is when Vahid is approached by security guards who demand a bribe to let him and his cohorts go on their way. The guards are unaware that Eghbal is hidden in the van. When Vahid tells the guards he has no cash, one of them whips out a credit card reader, and all is well.

At the same time, this movie is no spoof, and it addresses serious issues—mercy, guilt, brutality, vengeance, and memory. Each character feels fully rounded rather than a type. Really, I cannot recommend this film enough. It Was Just an Accident is available on Hulu and can also be rented on Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube.

Do see it if you have a chance.

 

 

 

 

Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

And He’s Back—Snow-gauge Clif: March 3, 2026

59 Comments

I know this is the time of year many of you look forward to: Starting in March, at the beginning of each week, Clif goes out with his trusty red snow gauge to measure the snow until it is gone from our yard. Usually, sometime in April, but with climate change, it’s hard to predict.

Weather-wise—but certainly not politically—it has been a good winter for central Maine. It has even been what you might call an old-fashioned winter, with fluffy snow, a decent amount on the ground, and few horrible windstorms to knock out the power. It is the kind of winter I remember from my childhood in Waterville, about twenty-five miles from where I live now. Yes, this year we have had to cancel some activities because of the weather, but that is winter in Maine, and it is to be expected. It has been colder than average, but you can’t have everything. If our country were going as well as this central Maine winter is, then we would be in pretty good shape.

So drumroll, please, as Snow-Gauge Clif makes his first appearance of the 2026 season.

Here he is in the front yard.

You can see by his solemn expression that Snow-Gauge Clif takes his job very seriously. Amount of snow: 17 inches.

And here he is in the backyard, where we get more sun. Amount of snow: 12 inches.

While I was tottering around outside, I took a couple more pictures.

One of the back bed, where the dried hydrangeas and the garden ornament make a pretty foreground to the woods in the back.

And then one looking down, as I have to do on our icy paths around the house. This time of year, there are always some interesting little tidbits that have blown from the trees surrounding our yard. I did not arrange the leaf and the evergreen sprig. That is nature’s arrangement.

Stay tuned for more of Snow-Gauge Clif!

 

Winter

A Stormy Tale: Maine and Massachusetts

51 Comments

Yesterday, a powerful storm named Hernando made its way up the East Coast, from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, including Massachusetts, where my daughter and son-in-law live, and Maine, where we live. The storm brought snow, snow, and more snow.

Because Maine is north of north, you might think that we got hit the hardest, but you would be wrong. Where Shannon and Mike live, just outside Boston, the snowfall was twenty-one inches. (Boston is about 160 miles south of us.) To the south of them, in Rhode Island, snowfall totaled nearly thirty inches, and travel bans were in effect in some counties. (Folks, that’s a lot of snow, even by Maine standards.) Maine’s snowfall? Two inches. As I write this, Clif is outside with his scoop and shovel, cleaning the driveway and walkways. There is too little snow for Snow Joe.

Here are some pictures that Shannon and Mike took outside Boston.

The view from their window,

their parking lot,

and on the way to work the next day—again, just outside Boston. Has a Narnia look, doesn’t it?

And here is a picture of our porch. The snow on the rail will give an idea of how much snow we got—not much.

It’s funny how a storm can peter out as it moves north. At our home on the edge of the woods, none of us were sorry that Hernando didn’t dump a lot of snow on us. As you can probably tell from the picture, we have plenty of snow, and we certainly didn’t need thirty inches more.

Still, in New England, a winter without snow is a sorry affair, not good for the perennials, not good for the water table. But one thing is certain: this year, in New England, we have plenty of snow.

 

Cats, Movies, Winter

A Hazy Shade of Winter

60 Comments

On Friday, the sky—to borrow from Simon and Garfunkel—was a hazy shade of winter.

In February in Maine, that can mean only one thing—snow—and snow it did, about five or six inches, which for northern New England is a nice little storm. The snow was not too heavy, and our trusty electric snow-thrower, Snow Joe, easily took care of it.

On Saturday, the skies cleared, and we had one of those beautiful winter days that Maine is known for.

Here is the view of our front yard from our living room window.

A side view from the window in my bedroom.

Kai decided he needed to look out the window, too. Perhaps he needs his own little camera?

Today—Monday, February 23—the sky is again a hazy shade of winter. A nor’easter is blowing up the coast, and this morning my daughter, who lives in Boston, wrote to tell me it is snowing so hard she can’t see the bridge from her window, a bridge that is usually visible.

South of us, in Portland, the nor’easter has hit with blowing snow and low visibility, but in central Maine, it has just begun to snow. The forecast is between four and eight inches. Again, no big deal for us.

For years, I wished we lived closer to the coast. I love the ocean and the sound of waves hitting the shore. The salt air and the cry of gulls. But now that the climate crisis is upon us, I am glad we live inland, where, as a rule, the storms aren’t as bad.

And although we live in a lakes region, not far from the Kennebec River, we live on a hill that keeps us high and dry when we do get storms. No flooding at our home at the edge of the woods. I wish I could write that this was our plan when we bought the house forty-two years ago, but it wasn’t. Instead, it was pure dumb luck. Always grateful when Chance is on our side.

Note: Long-time readers have been asking about Snow-Gauge Clif and when he will be featured on the blog. Well, I have some good news. Snow-Gauge Clif always makes his appearance on the first Monday in March and then on every Monday, usually into April, measuring the snow until it is gone. Next Monday is the first Monday in March. Stay tuned.

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Watching

How to Make a Killing

One of my blogging friends, Derrick Knight, mentioned in a comment that he can’t go to the movies anymore because he has to sit with his knees bent. I replied that in today’s post, I would show him why, with my creaky knees, I can go to the cinema and sit in comfort.

Here is the reason:

Our cinema has recliners, which I fondly refer to as Baracloungers, and they are oh-so-comfortable, especially for folks like me with creaky knees.

Our cinema, Regal, also offers a pass for $24 a month that lets us see one movie a day. Naturally, we don’t go to that many. We might be true-blue ciniphiles, but we have our limits. Usually, we see one movie a week, maybe two, depending on what’s showing. But even if we only see one, the cost is about $5 a movie, which is a wicked good deal.

Last weekend, we saw the crime thriller How to Make a Killing, a dark comedy about Becket, a young man from a rich family. Although his mother was banished, Becket is in line for a substantial inheritance, but other family members are ahead of him. What to do? Why kill them, of course. And that’s exactly what Beckett, played by the ever-charming Glenn Powell, sets out to do. Naturally, complications ensue along with a nifty plot twist at the end.

I’m only a little ashamed to admit that I enjoyed every minute of this movie, no doubt largely because of Powell’s charm. If you like dark comedy crime movies and shows, such as Burn Before Reading or Ripley, then you will probably like How to Make a Killing.

 

 

 

 

 

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