Movie Review: Jackpot! (2024)

Synopsis: In the year 2030, former child actress Katie Kim returns to Los Angeles after a long hiatus to care for her dying mother in an attempt to reignite her career as an adult. Due to her absence and avoidance of current events she doesn't know the now impoverished city has implemented a lottery until she accidentally gets the winning ticket worth $3.6 billion. There's just one catch, anyone in the city can legally kill her and claim the money as long as they do it by sundown and without using a gun. Her only hope for survival comes from Noel, a freelance lottery protection agent who is willing to keep her alive for 10 percent or get her out of the city (which voids her winnings) for nothing. Noel seems to know what he's doing but can Katie trust him not to try to claim the full $3.6 billion for himself?

Who's in it? The movie stars Awkwafina, John Cena, Simu Liu, Marian Green and Ayden Mayeri.

Review: I lost interest in professional wrestling several years before John Cena debuted in the WWE and as a result, I really don't know much about his time in the ring. I have, however, seen him as a Hollywood actor and while I wasn't a huge fan of his earlier movies, have admittedly enjoyed how he has grown into a solid action and comedy star. That's why, even though I hadn't heard of this latest movie, Jackpot!, I was interested in seeing it as soon as I discovered it on Amazon Prime last night.

My wife and I watched it, and I honestly think it might be one of his best films.

I think the best way I can describe this movie is it felt like a combination of the dystopian thriller The Purge and the goofy comedy Idiocracy. As soon as Katie (Awkwafina) cluelessly wins the lottery, every citizen in Los Angeles (minus a select few) ranging from her roommate to an elderly lady she met on the bus, is determined to kill her. Yet, at the same time, it seemed as though nobody in Los Angeles was particularly smart, making it surprisingly easy for her to stay alive even before Noel (Cena) showed up to help.

The movie turned out to be quite funny too as a result of this. I was concerned it was one of those films that would burn out quickly but there always seemed to be something to keep it from becoming repetitive. This was especially true when Katie and Cena are forced to get help from a group of lottery protection agents commanded by Louis Lewis (Liu) and it was unclear what Lewis' intentions were.

One thing I think helped this film was the chemistry between the two stars. Cena and Awkwafina worked well together, playing off each other to make the scenes and dialog entertaining. Along those lines, I also liked how the film kept the relationship platonic. They became friends but there was no attempt to force an unbelievable romance down our throats, something that has ruined way too many movies.

Oh, and if you do watch this, make sure to stick it out through the end credits. There are a ton of scenes, some better than others, and it does start to drag on. However, there were just enough funny clips to make it worth it.

Final Opinion: I spent a few minutes trying to figure out something I didn't like about this movie but truthfully, there really wasn't. The film is exactly what it is supposed to be, goofy but entertaining. I'd recommend it solely on that.

My Grade: A