5 Movies Like Jackpot! (2024)

Somewhere in Queens has the familiar feel of an indie dramedy. It’s intimate and unassuming, casually funny and effortlessly moving. It has the low-key charm that evades more large-scale productions, lending the film that rare poignancy that makes something feel special. 

All these boost an otherwise simple story of family and acceptance. Couple Leo and Ange (a very compelling Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf) are getting on in years, and watching them navigate the common pitfalls of people their age is both funny and heartwarming to watch. This is cleverly paralleled with their son Sticks’ (Jacob Ward) coming-of-age journey, which is just as expected but tender as ever. 

Theirs is a tight-knit family that fights as much as they love, and watching them in a modest production like this isn't just feel apt but authentic and dear too, like an old family picture come to life.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Caryn Richman, Danny Garcia, David St. Louis, Elizabeth Yu, Erik Griffin, Geoffrey Owens, J. C. MacKenzie, Jackson Pace, Jacob Ward, James Ciccone, Jennifer Esposito, Jennifer Simard, Joe Caniano, Jon Manfrellotti, June Gable, Karen Lynn Gorney, Katie Kreisler, Lauren Biazzo, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Romano, P. J. Byrne, Ray Romano, Sadie Stanley, Sebastian Maniscalco, Seth Barrish, Tony Lo Bianco

Director: Ray Romano

Rating: R

Kindness is universally considered as a virtue, but so too is it considered a weakness– Reciprocation isn’t necessarily guaranteed and some people take advantage of the kindness given to them. But there are few instances when humanity does give back to those who have been generous to others, and one such instance is in Beijing Watermelon. It’s one of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s lesser known films, being released just a few months after the Tiananmen Square massacre, and having a more naturalistic, slice-of-life approach compared to Obayashi’s other films. Nevertheless, the film’s fairly simple message plays out in an earnest and genuine way, depicting the ways ordinary kindness can form communities despite cultural differences, loss, and diplomatic tensions between nations.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Akira Emoto, Bengal, Hana Kino, Haruhiko Saitô, Hiromi Oshima, Masako Motai, Ryo Iwamatsu, Takashi Sasano, Yasufumi Hayashi

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi

This a small-town, true-crime thriller that has John Hamm (Mad Men) as the detective, Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso) as the trusty sidekick, and Tina Fey (30 Rock) as the love interest. They’re a charismatic cast helming a bizarro story whose real-life details are already teeming with juicy details, and yet, the resulting film, directed by John Slattery, is as lackluster and forgettable as can be. There is no sense of mystery, the jokes fall flat, and every scene looks like it’s shot from a studio lot. There is plenty of better fare out there for anyone looking for comedy capers, and I bet the true crime documentary of the real-life Maggie Moore case is infinitely more engaging than its filmic counterpart. 

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery

Actor: Allison Dunbar, Bryant Carroll, Chance Romero, Christopher Denham, Christopher Kriesa, Debrianna Mansini, Denielle Fisher Johnson, Derek Basco, Happy Anderson, Jodi Lynn Thomas, Jon Hamm, Louisa Krause, Mary Holland, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Oona Roche, Peter Diseth, Richard Lippert, Roni Geva, Sewell Whitney, Tate Ellington, Tina Fey

Director: John Slattery

Rating: R

Fly Me to the Moon is many things: a movie about the power of marketing, the glory of outer space, the beauty of human connection, and famous pretty people doing their thing. But what it isn’t is believable. Nothing about this movie is, except perhaps for Scarlett Johansson’s endearing performance (she’s the only one who seems to care, which tracks because she’s credited as a producer). The plot is implausible, the backgrounds are painfully flat, the tone is weirdly uneven, and maybe most disappointing of all, the acting just doesn’t pack a punch. It’s been reported that Channing Tatum, who plays Johansson’s love interest, was cast as a last-minute replacement for Chris Evans. If it’s true, it shows. He seems lost. His deadpan delivery may work in boisterous comedies like 21 Jump Street, but here it feels jarring. This is the guy Johansson’s impassioned character is supposed to have chemistry with? The guy who can’t so much as lift his eyebrows to express any emotion other than mild annoyance? To its credit, the movie has an interesting lead in Kelly (Johansson), an ad woman who isn’t defined by the men surrounding her, and who is morally complex and nuanced. I also appreciate her friendship with her secretary Ruby. They provide a fresh angle to a well-known story, it’s just too bad the direction seemed to go off the rails in the end.

Genre: Comedy, History, Romance

Actor: Anna Garcia, Channing Tatum, Christian Clemenson, Christian Zuber, Colin Jost, Colin Woodell, Dariusz Wolski, Donald Watkins, Gary Weeks, Gene Jones, Jessie Mueller, Jim Rash, Joe Chrest, Kade Pittman, Nick Dillenburg, Njema Williams, Noah Robbins, Peter Jacobson, Ray Romano, Scarlett Johansson, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Todd Allen Durkin, Victor Garber, Woody Harrelson

Director: Greg Berlanti

Rating: PG-13