Jackpot! could as well be an enjoyable journey if you’re up for something goofy, boisterous, and action-packed. However, don’t count on anything making sense.
It is 2030. Here in L.A., a recently launched lottery game is causing chaos. In 2026, The California Grand Lottery was established as a post-mortem response to the fictitious Great Depression. The idea is that, should you be the fortunate recipient of the winning ticket, you will need to live until dusk since anybody in your vicinity may locate you and retrieve your winnings. However, firearms are prohibited. Jackpot takes off with this ridiculous, Squid Game-like video game concept, featuring Awkwafina as the unhappy main character who is wearing a billion-dollar crown.
The premise
With his 2011 film Bridesmaids, which followed a group of women as they came to grips with their personal reality, director Paul Feig hit gold. Jackpot completely lacks that feeling of realism, favoring action-comedy above character growth over an extended period of time. Katie Kim from Awkwafina is an aspiring actor who gets pickpocketed in broad daylight when we first meet her. She appears to know nothing about the lottery itself, and after a terrible audition, when she does happen to be the lucky winner, chaos ensues.
The problem is that Katie Kim doesn’t even aspire to wealth. Thus, while Katie is unsure that she wants to work (as an actor), she also does not want to be wealthy and well-known without having to put in much effort. What then is her desire? Not even she knows.
Meanwhile, she meets Noel (John Cena), a freelance bodyguard who is on the run and shows up right before Katie gets knocked unconscious. He will only save her if a ten percent fee is paid; otherwise, he does not want to murder her. She nods grudgingly, still not understanding what is going on. Cue for long-winded action jokes that don’t make you laugh. Simu Liu performs a dubious role as the chief of the Lottery Protection Agency. He desires to have some cake for himself. Even the brief cameos by Machine Gun Kelly and Dolly de Leon don’t manage to provide any kind of order to the chaotic and overly dramatic plot.
Final thoughts
Jackpot! is a shipwreck in and of itself, despite Awkwafina’s best efforts to salvage the day with her physical humor and amazing action sequences. It is unsure of what it wants to say about the future, how to interpret the strange example of capitalism on exhibit, or how it fuels anxiety and instability. Jackpot! portrays a dismal near future, yet when the movie tries to make light of that hopelessness, what other logic is there?
A sense of humor does not make up for the constant desire to survive. However, the picture lacks even decent humor to its advantage. The creators of Jackpot! don’t appear to be thinking about these issues, so they’re hoping that viewers will enjoy the journey and support the two characters’ survival. Jackpot! is a squandering of promise from the consistent Awkwafina; it’s not the winner it so much wants to be.
