The Luckiest Man in America Review: Paul Walter Hauser leads the strange but true story of the Press Your Luck cheating scandal

Plot: Based on a true story, the film is set in May 1984, when an unemployed ice cream truck driver from Ohio steps onto the game show Press Your Luck, harboring a big secret: the key to endless amounts of money. His winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives in the control room start to uncover his real motivations. 

Review: As someone who has been trying to get on Jeopardy! for a while, I have always been fascinated with the contestants’ backstories who have made their way onto shows watched by millions. While few controversies have compared to the one chronicled in Robert Redford’s Quiz Show, the circumstances surrounding Michael Larson’s then-record-breaking appearance on Press Your Luck is a bizarre chapter in pop culture history. The Luckiest Man in America dramatizes the events of Larson’s run on the popular game show with the great Paul Walter Hauser in another fantastic performance. Surrounded by an ensemble of talent, including Walton Goggins, David Straithairn, Maisie Williams, and Haley Bennett, The Luckiest Man in America is a fascinating look at one man’s desire for fortune more than fame as he struggles with his own personal demons.

From the beginning of The Luckiest Man in America, something seems off about Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser). During a casting call for contestants on Press Your Luck, Michael gives producer Bill Carruthers (David Straithairn) exactly what he is looking for in an everyman to be on the show, even though it is quickly revealed that Larson has lied about his identity to get in the door. Looking past that, Carruthers brings Larson on despite objections from casting director Chuck (Shamier Anderson). Michael prepares for his shot on the show by scamming a local thrift store to give him a suit at a cheaper price. Once filming begins, Michael starts out slowly, giving host Peter Tomarken (Walton Goggins) some fun fodder to entertain the audience. On his second turn, Michael begins winning and does not stop, setting off excitement in the control room that quickly devolves into concern that this average guy may be cheating.

Over the next hour, Michael keeps spinning and accruing prizes while Bill and Chuck scramble to figure out how he is doing it. It does not take long for the truth to be unveiled, but behind the scenes, they must devise a way to preserve Michael’s success for ratings reasons without losing too much money. The film unfolds in a series of sequences on stage. At the same time, Michael keeps his spin streak alive, to the chagrin of fellow contestants played by Brian Geraghty and Patti Harrison, production assistant Sylvia (Maisie Williams), and the stage director (James Wolk). In the control room, Shaunette Renee Wilson, David Rysdahl, and Ricky Russert try to figure out any recourse they may have before network executive Damian Young steps in to mitigate matters. Enlisting Chuck to figure out who Michael Larson is and why he is doing what he is doing, the picture begins to come together that there is a reason for his desire to win the game at any cost. It involves a woman back in his hometown of Lebanon, Ohio, played by Haley Bennett.

Paul Walter Hauser has repeatedly proven his dramatic chops in lauded performances in I, Tonya, Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell, and the Apple TV+ series Black Bird. Still, he utilizes his stage experience in playing Michael Larson. Each sequence and location in this film exists almost like an act in a play, with the characters heavily relying on dialogue to convey what is happening. Hauser plays Michael Larson as more of a broken, troubled man rather than the career con man and criminal versed in get-rich-quick schemes that history has shown the real man to have been. There is a blackly comic angle to The Luckiest Man in America, something that never gets too broad. The film has multiple actors known for their comedy work, including Patti Harrison and Johnny Knoxville, who get to play more serious characters while never fully letting go of the bizarrely humorous undercurrent in this story. As the film progresses, a sense of dread continues to mount, leading to and ending that many may not anticipate.

Directed by Samir Oliveros, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Maggie Briggs, The Luckiest Man in America deviates significantly from the actual events, including the scoring and progression of Michael Larson’s win, which is available readily on YouTube. Even though the film takes a more condensed and dramatic approach to the story, it sticks closely to the mannerisms and actions Michael Larson demonstrated during his appearance. The early life and criminal acts that Larson perpetrated leading to his Press Your Luck success are hinted at but never clearly explained, which may confuse those who look at the real story after seeing the film. Oliveros adopts a 1980s aesthetic to recreate the game show set, and the production values are impressive. Still, there are times when the story feels like it is missing a more concrete thread that would pull everything together. The film ends in an ambiguous manner despite the real-life events after Michael Larson being public knowledge and tragic in their own right.

The Luckiest Man in America works on many levels but hinges on the great performance of Paul Walter Hauser. By making Michael Larson likable despite making bad and troublesome decisions, we are equally duped by his charisma as the producer of Press Your Luck. Watching the events of The Luckiest Man in America unfold is, at times, hard to watch but also heartbreaking. I wanted to like Michael, but his actions made it difficult for me to reconcile. This fascinating story unfolds in just ninety minutes of the film, keeping you guessing the whole way. By the end, I had hoped for a little more substance to the story, but the decision to keep this take on the story focused on the game show itself gives the story a sense of urgency. An intriguing tale with an impressive ensemble cast, The Luckiest Man in America is worth checking out.

The Luckiest Man in America opens in theaters on April 4th.

The Luckiest Man in America

GOOD

7

The post The Luckiest Man in America Review: Paul Walter Hauser leads the strange but true story of the Press Your Luck cheating scandal appeared first on JoBlo.