Walton Goggins’ R-Rated Hulu Thriller Is Unfairly Overlooked 1980s Nostalgia

By TeeJay Small
| Published 31 seconds ago

Every once in a while, I find myself trolling Hulu for weird, obscure movies that might scratch my niche interests. This is how I’ve come across such underrated hits as Self Reliance, The Death of Stalin, and an obscure little indie film called Shrek 2. Last week, I was surprised to stumble upon The Luckiest Man In America, which released in 2024 with a stacked cast, an exciting premise, and a top-tier trailer.

A Game Show With A Stacked Cast

Somehow, this film must have completely missed my radar upon release, but The Luckiest Man in America has all the makings of a movie I’d love to watch. Paul Walter Hauser appears in the main role, as real-life game show contestant and down-on-his-luck ice cream vendor Michael Larson.

After essentially scamming his way into a slot on the show Press Your Luck, Larson attempts to take home the biggest game show payday anyone has ever seen. Along the way, the cast and crew of Press Your Luck panic at the idea of losing tens of thousands on a single episode, prompting them to sabotage Larson’s game.

The Luckiest Man in America feels like a game of cat and mouse, a fever dream, and a little piece of Americana all rolled into one. The tension rises throughout the narrative perfectly, all while rarely leaving the set of the game show.

Larson’s shady behavior keeps you on your toes the entire time, and PWH’s performance is one of his best. The supporting cast of The Luckiest Man in America includes a suite of character actors who all knock it out of the park as well, including Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, Johnny Knoxville, and Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams.

Decades In The Making

The Luckiest Man in America was written and directed by a relatively unknown filmmaker named Samir Oliveros. Apparently, a draft of the script had been floating around since the late 1990s, with Bill Murray originally attached to take on the leading role. While that sounds like it might have been a really fun take on the material, I’m actually glad this project spent a quarter of a century in development hell. Personally, I don’t think anyone else could have brought this story to life quite like this team, and I definitely think the varnish of 80s nostalgia plays better today than it would have in the year 2000.

My only gripe with the movie is that it ends pretty abruptly. I was along for the ride on this one, and I would have fully enjoyed it if the film had gone on for hours. Still, like a prolific game show performance, all great things must come to an end. If you’re interested in checking out this oddball thriller, be sure to stream The Luckiest Man in America on Hulu today.

The Luckiest Man in America SCORE