Film
Jackpot!
Other titles called Jackpot!: the 2021 film.
- Car-chase action
- Action thriller
- Crime
- Relentless
A gleeful high-concept action-comedy set in a near-future where lottery winners must survive until sundown to claim their jackpot. It's pure chaos: goofy, kinetic, anarchic. Awkwafina carries the film with charm and comic timing, trading insults and bullets with John Cena's earnest lottery bodyguard. Perfect if you want something that doesn't take itself seriously and moves fast.
If you liked this
Free Guy2021
A Ryan Reynolds blockbuster about a video game NPC who breaks the fourth wall and becomes conscious. Same DNA as Jackpot!: bright, anarchic energy, self-aware humour, and a hero who's in way over their head but keeps cracking jokes.
But Relies heavily on pop-culture references and online gaming terminology that might feel dated if you're not plugged into that world.

The Nice Guys2016
Shane Black's Los Angeles comedy-thriller pairs a fastidious detective with a violent fixer—two people who shouldn't work together forced to stay alive. The same rhythm: banter anchors the action, chemistry matters more than plot coherence.
But More 1970s noir than sci-fi pastiche; if you want futuristic spectacle, this is grounded and deliberately unglamorous.

Bullet Train2022
Brad Pitt's Zen assassin on a speeding train with four other killers. High-speed action, eccentric characters, humour that never stops the momentum. Jackpot! has the same refusal to get bogged down in seriousness.
But Juggling five different criminal backstories can feel overstuffed, and the needle-drops are sometimes louder than the dialogue.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Jackpot!
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Demolition Man1993
Both pit a irreverent protagonist against a rigged, near-future society and find dark comedy in the collision.
Sylvester Stallone wakes up in a hyper-sanitized future where violence is illegal and everyone eats at Taco Bell. Jackpot! shares its satirical glee about extrapolated American absurdity: a deadpan premise played with maximum energy and an anarchic hero at odds with the system.
But Early 90s action film with dated effects and a earnestness that clashes with its campy setup—some stretches drag.

More like this (8)
Red Notice2021
Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot in a globe-trotting heist comedy. Absurd stakes, charismatic leads playing off each other, and pure entertainment with zero pretence to depth.
But Netflix's scale sometimes swallows the personality; some sequences feel stretched to justify the runtime.

The Lost City2022
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum marooned in the jungle, bickering constantly while dodging danger. Lightweight adventure-comedy with genuine charm and two leads who clearly enjoy their rapport.
But The plot is tissue-thin, and if you need actual stakes or character growth, you'll feel unsatisfied.

Stuber2019
Dave Bautista as an injured detective forced to ride along in an Uber driven by a squeamish driver (Kumail Nanjiani). Absurd buddy-cop chemistry, low-stakes fun, same comedic frequency as Jackpot!.
But Confined to Los Angeles streets; the novelty of the premise burns out before the third act.

Central Intelligence2016
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart reunite for a CIA thriller disguised as a comedy. Unhinged action, constant laughs, a chemistry that carries you past the ridiculous plot.
But Very reliant on Johnson and Hart's charisma—if that particular combination doesn't work for you, nothing else will sustain it.

The Man from Toronto2022
Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson: a hitman and a dentist mistaken for each other. Absurdist premise, constant banter, the kind of Netflix comedy that doesn't care if you believe the setup.
But Zero originality in plot structure, and the jokes flatten in the middle hour.

Ride Along2014
Kevin Hart as a cop-obsessed civilian and Ice Cube as the cop who has to babysit him. Earnest action wrapped in constant comedy; Cena's straightman delivery here echoes that dynamic.
But The formula is ancient, and comedy-action has evolved significantly since 2014.

The Gentlemen2020
Both revel in controlled mayhem where plot takes a back seat to ensemble chemistry and rapid-fire comedic setpieces.
Guy Ritchie's ensemble crime-comedy: overlapping storylines, dozens of characters double-crossing each other, constant witty violence. Jackpot!'s chaos and tonal whiplash—action suddenly interrupted by laugh lines—comes straight from this playbook.
But Deliberately complicated narrative structure; if you're not tracking four simultaneous cons, you'll get lost and frustrated.

Turbo Kid2015
Both are action films that trust comedy first and treat their world's dumb rules with complete seriousness, creating weird charm from the friction.
A post-apocalyptic action-comedy about a lonely kid on a BMX bike in a neon wasteland. Made outside the studio system with genuine inventiveness. Like Jackpot!, it's bright and absurd, treating ridiculous premises as gospel truth, with practical effects and real stunt work that feels tangible beneath the jokes.
But Low-budget indie sensibility means some action sequences are rough; it's rough in ways that mainstream films deliberately smooth away.

People
Cast
AwkwafinaKatie Kim
John CenaNoel Cassidy
Simu LiuLouis Lewis
Ayden MayeriShadi
Donald WatkinsDJ Donald
Sam AsghariSenior Agent Ash
mgkMachine Gun Kelly
Seann William ScottRugged Man
Dolly de LeonGrandma Tala
Michael HitchcockSleazy Ron Wexler
Becky Ann BakerSweet Irene
Leslie David BakerEarl the Fameland Guard
Directing
- Paul FeigDirector
- Barbara AbelarScript Supervisor
- James YoungSecond Unit Director
- Matt HaggertySecond Unit First Assistant Director
Writing
- Rob YescombeWriter
Production
- Kris ReddingCasting
- John CenaExecutive Producer
- Rob YescombeExecutive Producer
- Zack RothExecutive Producer
- Jeff KirschenbaumProducer
- Joe RothProducer
- Laura FischerProducer
- Paul FeigProducer