Jackpot! masquerades as satire, but weak direction and a limp script only serve to undermine the charms of its leads.
Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Action, Comedy
Run Time: 104′
Global Release: August 15, 2024
Where to watch: Prime Video
In 1662, Sir William Petty said that the lottery is a tax on the stupid. Over three-and-a-half centuries later, we’re still playing lotteries, and Paul Feig’s Jackpot! posits that things can only get even more stupid. At least, it would if it actually had any interest in commenting on such things. Jackpot! is set in Los Angeles in 2030, home to a unique kind of lottery.
Whenever a winning ticket is chosen, the owner of the ticket automatically becomes a live target for all the other players. If one of them kills the chosen winner, they get to claim a share of their multi-billion jackpot. This premise has the kernel of an idea, but screenwriter Rob Yescombe figures that the idea of lottery players being so desperate as to become murderous is clever enough, and just lets it play out. What could have been a raucous and bloody spoof in the vein of Paul Verhoeven devolves into a mish-mash of bloodless overedited action and limp jokes.
The wasted potential is summed up in Jackpot!’s prologue, which sees Seann William Scott’s winning ticketholder and Triangle of Sadness’ Dolly De Leon square off. Neither is ever seen again after this scene, but it’d be nice to think the investment and charm Scott shows here might remind audiences how good he can be. The actual focus of our attention is Awkwafina’s Katie, newly arrived in L.A. and looking for acting work. Feig and the script think the satire lies in making Katie’s situation as unpleasant as possible. She’s pickpocketed, arrives at a poky, leaky AirBnb, and is hosted by the most annoying roommate possible (Ayden Mayeri’s Shadi might just be the worst character in a film this year).
One contrived mixup later, and Katie ends up winning that day’s lottery. She’s suddenly running around L.A. with a massive target on her back. This should either be unbearably tense or hilariously silly, but Feig is unable to make Jackpot! sing in either register. It can’t get too nasty or it’ll turn off casual viewers, but its attempts at slapstick comedy fail to convince. Even the arrival of John Cena as Noel, a freelance bodyguard for lottery winners, can’t elevate proceedings. Despite attempts at a backstory, Noel is a nothing character composed of gags and pop culture references that never land. The role squanders Cena’s canny comic timing, and undermines whatever buddy badinage he shares with Awkwafina. She is charismatic enough to sell some of Katie’s one-liners, but the dynamic between the two is confused. The script hints at friendship, collegiality, and even romance, but can’t settle on one.
Feig’s ability to create fun setpieces has taken a nosedive since the goofy fun of Spy. The editing is haphazard, the camerawork is hyperactive, and the whole film wallows in a lo-fi look that oozes cheapness. One character nods to the restricted budget by pointing out how much L.A. looks like Atlanta, but such cynical jabs never excuse the original flaw. By the time Simu Liu’s rival protection agent and his army of goons arrive on the scene, Jackpot! will have lost anyone looking for some smart comedy or passable action (though an extended cameo from Machine Gun Kelly gets a couple of chuckles). At one point, Katie laments her chances of getting an acting gig, noting that wrestlers and YouTubers are movie stars now. Much like that joke, Jackpot! is uninspired and obvious, and doomed to be forgotten shortly after viewing.
Jackpot! will be available to stream globally on Prime Video on August 15, 2024. Read our reviews of the Dolly De Leon-starring Triangle of Sadness, Between The Temples, Ghostlight, and Family Therapy!
