The Luckiest Man In America

2024 IFC Films

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 31min

Drama ~ True Story

Directed by: Samir Oliveros

Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, Brian Geraghty, Patti Harrison, Haley Bennett, Damian Young, Lilli Kay, James Wolk, Shaunette Renée Wilson, David Rysdahl, Ricky Russert, David Strathairn, Johnny Knoxville, and Maisie Williams.

Brains Beat Luck….

The Luckiest Man in America tells the incredible true story of Michael Larson, who stunned the world in 1984 by outsmarting the game show Press Your Luck and winning a record-breaking $110,237. Played by Paul Walter Hauser, Larson was an ordinary ice cream truck driver who spent months studying the game’s unique board patterns and discovered a secret to beating it. What looked like luck was really the result of careful planning, focus, and a clever brain.

Larson realized that the game’s “Big Board,” which determined prizes and “Whammy” losses, wasn’t random. By watching hundreds of hours of past episodes, he uncovered that the board repeated five specific patterns of lights. Knowing this, Larson memorized the order in which the prizes and Whammies appeared. This gave him the power to hit the big cash prizes again and again while avoiding the dreaded Whammies that would wipe out a player’s earnings. This method, known as the five pattern, turned the game, usually driven by chance, into a predictable challenge Larson could master. The movie shows how this secret strategy amazed the host, the crew, and the audience, making Larson’s winnings unbelievable and raising tough questions about fairness.

Hauser’s performance shines as he portrays Larson’s determination and focus, blending his nervousness with confident skill. The film also captures the tension behind the scenes as the show’s producers debate whether to stop Larson or ride the ratings boost his wins create. The movie’s pacing slows a little at times, but the story’s excitement and the ’80s vibe, enhanced by an energetic soundtrack, keep viewers engaged. The film goes beyond just the game, exploring how Larson’s cleverness and guts pay off against the odds and the challenges of playing against systems that don’t want to be beaten.

Life After the Big Win

The real Michael Larson’s life after his famous win was far from lucky. He lost much of his money in a real estate Ponzi scheme. On top of that, he withdrew $100,000 in $1 bills for a radio contest, but about half of it was stolen during a burglary while he was at a party. These events deeply affected Larson, even leading to personal conflicts. Larson drifted through jobs, including working as a Walmart assistant manager. Later, he got involved in a shady multi-level marketing scheme that defrauded thousands of investors. Facing federal investigations, he fled to Florida, where he lived away from the public eye until his death from throat cancer in 1999 at age 49.

The film doesn’t shy away from this darker side, showing that Larson’s life was a mix of brilliance and tragedy, where a historic win didn’t guarantee a happy ending. Even if you already know the ending, The Luckiest Man in America puts you right in the middle of this thrilling and thoughtful true story about luck, skill, courage and the harsh realities that sometimes follow.

Worth a watch if you love True Stories and this one is a Doozy!

The Real Michael Larson on the left and Paul Walter Hauser as Michael Larson On The Right.

Last Breath

2025 Focus Features

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 33min

Drama ~ Thriller ~ True Story

Directed by: Alex Parkinson

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, and Cliff Curtis.

Make Every Breath Count

Last Breath is based on the True Story of a terrifying accident that happened in 2012 deep beneath the North Sea. The film follows three saturation divers working on an oil rig manifold about 300 feet underwater. Their team includes Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson), the experienced diver who stays in the diving bell overseeing the operation; David Yuasa (Simu Liu), and Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), who enter the water to replace a pipe on the structure. Their job seems routine until a violent storm disrupts everything.

The large support ship above them uses a computer-controlled system called dynamic positioning to hold its place above the rig despite the rough seas. But when the storm causes the system to fail, the ship drifts dangerously away, pulling on the divers’ lifelines, the essential umbilicals that supply them with breathing gas, heat, and communication. Chris Lemons becomes trapped when his umbilical catches on the structure and then snaps, leaving him stranded on the seafloor without his lifeline.

Without gas from his suit supply, Lemons has to rely on small bailout tanks that only last about ten minutes, making his survival time critical. As Lemons drifts and struggles for air, Yuasa fights to reach him, pulling himself hand-over-hand along the umbilical back toward the rig as the ship continues drifting. Meanwhile, on the ship, the crew races to get the dynamic positioning system back online amid huge waves and high winds. They send out a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) to find Lemons and finally locate him weak and motionless on the seafloor, nearly 30 minutes after losing breathable gas.

Despite the odds, Yuasa manages to drag Lemons back to the diving bell, where Allcock pulls off a dramatic rescue, administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and helping Lemons regain consciousness. The amazing thing is Lemons not only survived over half an hour without oxygen but suffered no lasting brain damage, something even scientists cannot fully explain. Remarkably, Lemons returned to work just three weeks later to finish the job.

Captain Andre Jenson (Cliff Curtis) and the vessel crew face a heartbreaking moral choice during the chaos, risking an environmental disaster by staying to rescue Lemons or abandoning the mission to save their own ship. Their decision to keep trying shows the incredible teamwork and human spirit behind this real-life ordeal. Last Breath captures this high-stakes, emotional story with intense realism and respect for the courage of these divers and crew.

In the end, Last Breath is a gripping and inspiring True Story that shows the incredible risks deep-sea divers face and the power of human teamwork and determination. The film’s realistic approach, strong performances, and intense underwater sequences make it both an exciting thriller and a tribute to bravery. While the true story lessens some suspense, the emotional impact and respect for these real heroes more than make up for it. For anyone who loves survival dramas based on real events, Last Breath is definitely worth a watch. It’s a reminder that sometimes the greatest stories come from incredible acts of courage in the face of disaster.

This film is a gripping survival story that’s about more than just a thrilling rescue, it’s about trust, determination, and hope against all odds. It’s highly recommended for anyone interested in real-life drama and amazing true stories.

“Last Breath” (2025) is currently available to rent or purchase digitally on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, and Google Play Movies. It is also streaming with ads on Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, the film is now streaming exclusively on Peacock for subscribers.

Black Bag

2025 Focus Features

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 33min

Drama ~ Mystery ~ Romance ~ Spy ~ Thriller

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

It Takes A Spy To Hunt A Spy

George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a hard-nosed British intelligence officer, has been handed a stressful assignment by Arthur Stieglitz (Pierce Brosnan), the head of the National Cyber Security Centre: track down the mole responsible for leaking a powerful piece of cyber-weapon software called Severus. The stakes go from professional to deeply personal once George learns that his own wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), herself an elite agent, has landed on the shortlist of suspects alongside several of their close colleagues. Under intense pressure, George invites all the suspects, including Kathryn, to an unusually tense dinner party, where he employs unconventional, even sneaky, interrogation methods to push for confessions without tipping his hand.

As the investigation spirals, George is forced to confront cracks in both his marriage and his faith in the people closest to him. Suspicion mounts when mysterious clues appear: a hidden movie ticket in the wastebasket, a sudden trip to Switzerland by his wife without telling him, and signs that millions may have been transferred to an overseas bank account in her name. Kathryn finds herself under fire at work and at home, but her relationship with George, built on both trust and professional rivalry, becomes the movie’s driving force as the pair try to outwit a blackmailer playing them against each other.

With suspicion and paranoia swirling, the movie stays laser-focused on psychological tension rather than car chases or shootouts. Every dialogue and sideways glance carries extra weight, especially as dinner party secrets unravel and loyalties are put to the test. Amidst layers of secrets, lies, and suspicion, George and Kathryn face the biggest challenge: their loyalty to each other is tested by the possibility that one of them could be the traitor. Despite the mistrust and high-stakes espionage around them, their relationship proves strong and unbreakable. In the end, George and Kathryn reaffirm that their love and faith in one another are what truly matter, insisting that betrayal is not an option between them. Their partnership stands as a core, human element amid the chaos of spy games and political intrigue.

Black Bag is not your typical action spy movie because it focuses more on psychological tension, character dynamics, and subtle espionage rather than car chases, big explosions, or nonstop action scenes. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it’s a smart and sleek thriller that unfolds primarily through conversations, suspicion, and quiet moments of betrayal. Instead of flashy set pieces, the film builds suspense around trust issues, particularly within the main couple and their coworkers, and the careful maneuvering in their closed, claustrophobic environments like dinner parties and office spaces. It is a whodunit that is devoid of a lot of action and does move a little slow. You do have to pay attention to the details as George does, to figure things out. It was a different role for Michael Fassbender but enjoyable nonetheless. It does come off as a little cold and sterile where there is not much action and again moves a little slow. But it is more about the relationship of George and Kathryn and how they handle this test of their marriage.

Sure, it’s worth a watch but go in knowing that it is a bit different than your average spy action movie.

Black Bag Coming To Amazon Prime Friday September 5, 2025

2025 Focus Features

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 33min

Drama ~ Mystery ~ Romance ~ Spy ~ Thriller

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

It Takes A Spy To Hunt A Spy

From Director Steven Soderbergh, Black Bag is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country. It stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan. In the film, British intelligence officer George Woodhouse (Fassbender) is assigned to investigate a list of suspected traitors, one of which is his wife, Kathryn (Blanchett).

COMING TO AMAZON PRIME FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2025

We’ll be posting our review of the movie Saturday after we watch it Friday Night.

Join us and let us know what you thought of the movie.

Wind River

2017 The Weinstein Company

Rated : R

Length: 1 hr 47min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Neo-Western ~ Thriller

Directed by: Taylor Sheridan

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene.

Nothing Is Harder To Track Than The Truth

Wind River is set in the frozen expanses of Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation, where a local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker named Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers the body of a young Native American woman in the snow. Cory instantly recognizes the girl as his best friend Martin Hanson’s (Gil Birmingham) daughter Natalie (Kelsey Asbille). She had run barefoot in the snow for quite a distance as there is nothing around for miles. The cold air finally froze her lungs and she collapsed where Cory found her. The scene sparks a federal investigation led by Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), a rookie FBI agent flown in from Las Vegas, who was the closest available agent. Far from her comfort zone being originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida she is completely out of her element. Sensing Cory’s familiarity with the case and the terrain, she asks him to help her with her investigation. He agrees and the two start looking for the truth about what happened to Natalie.

Natalie had apparently been raped and they order the medical examiner to order a rape kit for testing. Signs of foul play and trauma quickly turn their attention to the young victim’s relationships. They search out her brother Chip who tells them, after a shootout with a drug addict in the drug filled mobile home, that Natalie had been hanging around a security guard named Matt Rayburn (Jon Bernthal) at a remote oil drilling camp. Outside the mobile home Cory notices a snowmobile trail leading up into the mountain. Cory and Jane head up on a snowmobile to investigate and discover the murdered, mutilated body of Natalie’s boyfriend. Cory and Jane recruit the local Tribe police led by Officer Ben Shoyo (Graham Greene) to accompany them out to the remote oil drilling camp to investigate. And it is there that things take a more sinister turn and we see flashbacks of what happened to Natalie and her boyfriend Matt.

Wind River was written and directed by Taylor Sheridan who also wrote Hell Or High Water and Sicario. All three are excellent movies and three of my favorites. Wind River was inspired by the thousands of stories of American Indian women raped, murdered or missing that he discovered in doing research for the story. Although it isn’t based on one specific story, it is the true story of all the missing women from the reservation. I have seen this movie a number of times and when I saw it was on Netflix last night, I had to watch it again. I love everything about this movie. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are fantastic in this as well as Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene. A couple of stand out scenes for me are outside the mobile home at the remote oil drilling camp where all hell breaks loose, Cory and Pete at the top of the mountain when he tells Pete that he is going to give him the same chances he gave Natalie, and when Cory goes to see Martin at the end and Martin is sitting out back with his “Death Face” on.

You could feel the heartfelt connection these two old friends have for each other, having each other’s backs in life. We all need friends like that. It is an adrenaline filled snowmobile ride chasing down the truth, filled with unexpected dangers and freezing temps, as Cory and Jane search for the truth, battle the elements, bad actors and the general culture of “looking the other way” on the reservation. As I said, I have seen this numerous times and still enjoy watching it. It is one of my favorites……hmmm, maybe I need a top ten favorite movie list. I’ll have to work on that. So, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It is a great movie, you should watch it.