by Bryan Stone
Apart from starring, Jake also wrote and produced the film alongside Joe Swanberg. It premiered at South by Southwest in March 2017, with Netflix releasing it in April the same year.
Currently, Win It All has an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 39 reviews and an average of 77 /100 based on 14 reviews on Metacritic.
What’s The Story?
The Duffel Bag
An insane amount of money is precisely what gambling addict Eddie doesn’t need. But when his close friend, Michael, asks him to store a mysterious duffel bag while he serves a 6-9 months prison sentence, Eddie’s quick to agree.
Michael promises to pay Eddie a $10,000 fee for safeguarding the bag, and Eddie as a good friend, assures that he won’t open the bag and stashes it before going about his work as a parking attendant.
A few days after Michael hands him the bag, Eddie gives into temptation and opens it. He finds several odd things inside, including large bundles of cash. Although advised by Gene, his recovery sponsor, not to touch the money, he eventually takes $500 and gambles it.
Eddie Meets Eva And Has A Losing Streak
Luckily for Eddie, he manages to win, and after paying back the money he took, he invites his friends to celebrate at a nearby bar. While there, he meets Eva, a beautiful nurse at a local hospital. They hit it off, and Eddie thinks she could be ‘the one,’ and so they plan for a second hangout.
Feeling good from his earlier win, Eddie takes another $5,000 from the bag to gamble. What could go wrong? He asks himself. Just like he took the $500 earlier and returned it, he’s sure he’ll do it again.
Unfortunately, paying the bag back isn’t in Eddie’s DNA this time; losing the money is. Soon after, he gambles more and more cash, beginning a downward spiral of gambling that ends with him owing more than $21,000 to the bag.
Getting Life Back On Track
Desperate, Eddie decides to call Gene for help. Gene mocks him at first but finally agrees to assist him by offering regular gambling counseling. Eddie then approaches his brother, Ron, for a job, and Ron generously gives it to him. He even agrees to loan Eddie the money to pay the bag back if he works hard to meet the job’s obligations. The bond between Eddie and Eva also grows, and he even introduces her to his family.
Eddie Finally Becomes Lucky
Six weeks of hard work later, Eddie gets a call from Michael, who’s in prison, saying he’ll be out earlier than expected and will retrieve the bag in one week. Panicked, Eddie begs Ron for the money to repay the bag, but Ron refuses to help him, thinking that he wants to gamble. Eddie then gets drunk and loses even more of the bag’s money on poker before the casino bans him.
Out of ideas, Eddie goes to Gene’s place in the middle of the night to ask for help. He agrees to get Eddie into a high-stakes poker game as he sees no other way out. Eddie arrives at the game with his friend and buys in for $15,000. After losing double the amount, he decides to wager the remaining money at once. His luck finally turns when he wins a huge pot after playing for a while and makes a profit.
A Happy Ending
Eddie wants to continue playing, but his friend insists he quits. While in this argument, Eddie clutches his heart and collapses. His friend cashes him out and takes him to the hospital, where he wakes up the following day and talks Ron into driving him to Eva’s. The movie ends with Eddie eating happily with Eva and her family. Meanwhile, Michael wonders why he has $400 more than he left in the bag.
A Funny And Touching Movie
Win It All offers a fresh take on a compulsive gambler’s life with great comic actors, and Jake Johnson will have your ribs cracking. Its mature themes are appealing for adults, with poker games that you can play online, making it all the more intriguing. So if you’re looking for the perfect combination of romance, suspense, and humour, this movie is it. Just by watching its trailer, you’ll see that the film has a lot to offer.
Author Bio
Hi! I’m Bryan, and I’m a passionate & expert writer with more than five years of experience. I have written about various topics such as product descriptions, travel, cryptocurrencies, and online gaming in my writing journey. The latter is one of my favorites topics, and you can find some of my premium casino content at OUSC.
