The Luckiest Man in America
Directed by Samir OliverosMay 1984. An unemployed ice cream truck driver steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a secret: the key to endless money. But his winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives uncover his real motivations.
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The Luckiest Man in America Ratings & Reviews
- RipLinesManApril 20, 2025Event Horizon (1997) was like this dark trippy mind blowin ride thru hell, and bro The Luckiest Man in America is like if that but instead of a haunted ship in space it's a game show with ice cream and secrets, ya feel me?? Like Paul Walter Hauser in Luckiest Man is wildin out like he’s got this golden cheat code or somethin, kinda like how Sam Neill in Event Horizon loses his mind tryin to bring hell into space, except Paul’s like bringin money rain to daytime TV instead. Hauser got this nervous dude energy but also mad smart vibes, while Neill’s just straight up creepin by the end. And yo, Walton Goggins? Way cooler than that doctor dude from Horizon, bro’s got style, I trust him way more not to open no demon portals. And real talk, this movie got heart too, like there’s actual laughs and vibes and even like, feels?? Event Horizon just scared the s*** outta me but Luckiest Man made me go “yooo what if I did that tho?” So yeah bro, Event Horizon (1997) had space ghosts, The Luckiest Man in America got game show ghosts of capitalism. Both slap, just in different ways.
- cyberbillp7d agoBoooooring. Just skip it.
- Andrew CloutJuly 4, 2025OK movie….liked the retro feel. Felt nostalgic but missing something.
- SpoonsJuly 24, 2025A true‑life game‑show hustle turned fever dream. Hauser is brilliant, Goggins oozes charm, and every win cranks the tension. Odd, sharp, and way more gripping than you’d expect.
- FigueiragamesJuly 1, 2025This was a extraordinary movie about a real story
- Rob Logan | The Geek GenerationMay 9, 2025This is solid as a casual, low stakes watch, but it only manages to scratch the surface of what's going on with the main character. A full-on character study seems like it would have been more interesting than what was presented. That being said, Paul Walter Hauser is doing excellent work portraying Michael Larson.
- Kevin WardJune 30, 2025Talented cast, and it is a fascinating story, but this film is unfortunately very boring, particularly if you already know the story. It doesn’t dig into Larson’s pre or post Press Your Luck at all. The ending falls really flat. Pretty disappointing, honestly.
- James BushnellJune 27, 2025Just about ok funny story and great area of what conforms as cheating
- AjayJune 10, 2025While it had an interesting premise, I wasn't expecting so much of it to be fictionalised by Hollywood. The cast and pacing were great, but the film let on that there would be more gravitas to the events than there actually were.
- Tom CooperMay 6, 2025Hmm. Was okay, not sure how I really feel about this one. Not that interesting really, I think it would probably have been more interesting to show his life after the show (read up on the guy for what happens after), possibly a proper biopic would have been better, not just the whole thing in the studio, it's a little hammy with the acting and the direction isn't great, some of the script is quite bad and it kind of drags on (despite it feeling rushed) and overstays its welcome.
- Stephen DhondtMay 25, 2025Nothing too surprising going on here, but it was a very well-made little treat that kept me completely invested throughout. Groovy seventies vibe too.
- Yuvi RandhawaMay 20, 2025super fun watch with great performances
- OshimplexMay 13, 2025Better than I thought it would be. I like the way it ends.
- cultfilmlikerMay 12, 2025Paul Walter Hauser is an acting force for sure. Would love to see a bit more range personally but I’ll take what I can get. Walton Goggins is definitely one of the hardest working dudes in Hollywood. Hilarious that Patti Harrison and Paul Walter Hauser are both in a Press Your Luck film as they’ve both been in I Think You Should Leave, which did a sketch involving a Press Your Luck parody. Love the pulsing emphasizing the timing that’s prominent from early on. The sound is very dynamic and strange. It’s a very unique mix to make you get into the protagonist’s head but it kind of jumbles the speech too much imo it makes little bits indecipherable without captions. Enjoyed the relatively simple yet stylistic direction! The “investigation” music is fucking hilarious. It reminds me of something from Arrested Development or The Lonely Island’s “Everyone’s A Critic.” Ooof idk if they needed to make the title Chuck’s deus ex machina tho lol but I loved it for the plot of the film! So many changes of pace and attitudes! Maybe too many!!
- James TangMay 6, 2025I'm probably biased because Press Your Luck was my favorite game show growing up, but I loved this. They took an incredibly niche premise and managed to make a stylish and engaging thriller. It's pretty obvious where they've taken creative liberties, but it never goes quite so overboard that it knocks you completely out of immersion. Fantastic performances all around. Well worth a watch, especially if you enjoyed Robert Redford's Quiz Show.
