The Luckiest Man in America

Any movie with David Strathairn is generally a winner for me. Unfortunately not this time. If I wasn't flying in a plane, I would have probably turned it off after about 30 minutes, but I would not have had enough time to watch another movie before landing. As I was handing my empty glass to the flight attendant, the movie ended. No lead up....no closure.....no recommendation.

This movie was refreshingly oddball, low budget and grabbed my attention more than I thought it would. Well done.

Promising movie but the main problem was nothing happened. Nothing whatsoever. You wait for a conclusion and it just ends. Would have felt ripped off if I’d paid money to watch it.

A fascinating character study from an exciting new filmmaker. Enigmatic and full of personality.

This movie is based on a very interesting true story - an ordinary guy from Ohio who memorized the patterns of flashing squares on a game show, got on the game show, and using his knowledge set a record for game show winnings. The movie is well-acted and nicely recreates the 80s game show aesthetic. Unfortunately, it kind of pads out the story with meandering scenes of corporate higher ups slowly panicking then realizing they can capitalize on the situation for ratings, the game show contestant dealing with some issues, and some different pieces of backstory that keep wandering into view. It is an amazing story and the movie captures some of the excitement and oddity of an apparent streak of luck resulting in many tens of thousands of dollars of winnings even if the overall film doesn’t quite live up to the fascinating source materials potential.

Enjoyable! Most movies today are the opposite of enjoyable. They may be entertaining but that is different from enjoying. After watching this movie I felt relief. It’s a good story about a down on his luck guy that makes his own break. Money may not buy happiness but sometimes it gives us some space.

For how good the cast was and the picture, I was disappointed in the story. Could have done a lot more with the story.

Guy remembers the patterns of a dumb game and wins 100 grand. The end.

A tense, sharply acted dive into a bizarre moment in game show history. The Luckiest Man in America blends quiet suspense with period charm, led by a standout performance from Paul Walter Hauser. It’s quirky, compelling, and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.

Based on a true story of a guy winning big in a 1980s game show. I felt like, not only was it made to look like the 80s, it also felt like they used technology of the time for filming. It was a basic, no-frills production which I like very much.