Lottery: Review

27th March 2023

Lee (Mitchell Fisher) doesn’t really know what to do with his life. He seems to do whatever he likes, although it often leads him into trouble. Feeling lucky one day, Lee goes into his local newsagents and buys a lottery ticket, and whilst thinking about what he could actually do if he won, he gets talking to Ruby (Niamh Branigan).

They talk for a long time, getting to know each other and even though Lee barely remembers to ask her name, he gets her number written on his lottery ticket and he heads off home.

The next day, Lee is checking his numbers and he cannot believe it when his numbers come up and he realises that he’s won millions. However, that joy is soon soured when Will (Neizan Fernandez) turns up at his house, punches Lee and takes his ticket.

After Lee regains consciousness, he’s surprised to see Ruby has turned up at his house and it’s a bittersweet experience. She tells him that Will’s her ex-boyfriend and after Lee explains about the ticket, she wants to help him get it back.

Lottery is a romantic drama turned thriller written and directed by Ryan J. Smith which tells a somewhat grounded story despite its high concept. The more cynical members of the audience may suspect what could happen between Lee and Ruby, but the best experience is to go in knowing nothing at all.

What follows is a smartly scripted drama with enough twists and turns to keep the audience interested and does so without hyperbole or too much dramatic flair. It also helps that the audience is kept in the dark just as much as Lee, letting them find out things just as he does which may give both lead character and audience a surprise or two.

The small cast all play their parts well and there’s a good chemistry between Fisher and Branigan which keeps the audience rooting for their success. With a surprisingly low budget, it just goes to show how a good story and decent performances can still lead to an interesting and thrilling film.

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