Kimber Myers
Produced by Pablo Larraín, The Luckiest Man in America dramatizes the life of a real person, but Michael Larson doesn’t reach the levels of fame of Larraín’s previous subjects like Maria Callas, Augusto Pinochet, Princess Diana, and Jackie Kennedy. Instead, he was the subject of a pair of Game Show Network documentaries for his scandalous appearance on ‘80s game show Press Your Luck. The fictionalized version of his story, The Luckiest Man in America, escapes the whammy, but it also doesn’t bring home the big money.
When Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser) auditions for Press Your Luck, it’s clear the ice cream truck driver watches the game show very closely. His obsession wins over executive producer Bill (David Strathairn), who chooses him against the advice of casting director Chuck (John Wick: Chapter 4’s Shamier Anderson), who immediately clocks the guy as “creepy.” Once taping begins for the show hosted by Peter Tomarken (Walton Goggins), Michael takes a minute to find his footing under the lights and in front of the audience, but then he begins a lucky streak that just keeps on going, breaking records and raising suspicions that his success is more than just luck.
The Luckiest Man in America struggles to fill its scant 90 minutes, even with the episode taping appearing to unfurl in near real-time. Larsen’s story is fascinating enough to have garnered other episodes of TV and documentaries, but there’s not enough meat on the bone here. There’s a strange interlude where Michael stumbles onto the set of a talk show whose host (Johnny Knoxville) welcomes him on stage, and it’s unclear whether this actually happened — or what it even adds here, beyond padding it a few minutes of time. (And giving Jackass star Knoxville a bit of work that doesn’t likely involve injury.)
Hauser has consistently turned in compelling work since his breakout role in I, Tonya, and he’s really strong here as the slippery, fidgety protagonist. The tight camerawork focuses on his minute facial expressions and eye movements, and Hauser’s performance looks great, even under this microscope. Michael isn’t the most sympathetic lead character — and he’s not intended to be — but Hauser’s portrayal and the script make it clear that he is going through it, even beyond the stress of appearing on a national game show.
This is only the second feature for director Samir Oliveros, who co-wrote the script with Maggie Briggs — and he adds some nice stylistic and vintage touches, including using a few iris ins and moments glimpsed through old-school television sets. It feels period appropriate without reveling in nostalgia. The bulk of the action feels like it takes place in real time, and the editing ratchets up the tension as Michael’s winnings continue to climb.
However, I struggled to be emotionally invested in The Luckiest Man in America beyond its momentary thrills. It takes a compelling true story of a record-breaking game show appearance and doesn’t do much with it on a deeper level. It ends with a moment that likely meant to be thought-provoking, but it just feels unfinished. There’s the requisite credits scene showing the real Michael, his fellow contestants, and host Peter Tomarken, and that doesn’t do anything other than tick off a box on the based-on-a-true-story-movie checklist.
At least second-place game show contestants can go home with a set of steak knives, but The Luckiest Man in America doesn’t leave the audience with much. With good performances from a talented ensemble, this thriller is watchable enough during its running time, but it makes about as lasting an impression as an average episode of a game show.
C+
“The Luckiest Man in America” is in theaters Friday.
