Plot Summary
In the near future, something called the Grand Lottery has been established in California. There can be only one winner but the victor isn’t necessarily the person who has been chosen for the prize.
People are allowed to chase down the prize winner and if they catch and kill them before sundown, they can claim the money as their own.
One lucky/unlucky lottery winner is Katie Kim. She’s new in LA and unaware that the lottery even exists. She finds out that she has been chosen for the big prize when the people of the city come clamouring for her blood.
Does Katie survive the day? We reveal all in our Ending Explained article.
How does the movie begin?
The movie begins with the previous year’s lottery ticket winner running away from a large crowd of people. He eventually escapes the mob by taking refuge in the house of an elderly woman. Unfortunately for him, she has a nail gun (or some variation thereof) and kills him, thus becoming the winner of the money.
We then move into the future where we are introduced to Katie Kim. She’s an aspiring actress who has come to LA for auditions. Shortly after one audition, she is beset upon by the other aspiring actresses. She’s then attacked by members of a martial arts group as well as a yoga class who are far from peace-loving.
Luckily, Katie is saved by a guy called Noah, who is a freelance protector of lottery winners. He tells her about the lottery and requests that she give him a 10% commission if he keeps her alive before sundown arrives.
Katie isn’t in full agreement as she’d rather skip the money by skipping town (the only way to forfeit the prize). But she doesn’t have a lot of time to think about an escape plan as people all over LA are now intent on hunting her down.
Do Katie and Noel get to safety?
The chase is near-endless but Katie and Noel eventually find shelter at the home of Machine Gun Kelly. After knocking him out with wasp venom, the two take refuge in his panic room. They aren’t able to stay there very long, however, as Shadi (who previously lumbered Katie with a terrible Airbnb) turns up along with a baying horde of people.
Shadi finds out the panic room code after throwing Machine Gun Kelly into his swimming pool to wake him up.
Just when it looks like Katie’s days are numbered, the Lottery Protection Agency arrives to take both her and Noel to safety.
Who are the Lottery Protection Agency?
The Lottery Protection Agency is an official form of protection for lottery winners. The head of the group, Lewis, is contemptuous of Noel and undermines the work he has done in protecting Katie.
It turns out Noel and Lewis have a history. They were both part of a team of mercenaries who years before failed to save their other team members after a mission went wrong. Noel had always blamed himself for their deaths but as he discovers later in the film, he had no reason to feel guilty. This is because Lewis betrayed his team and then killed them, meaning Noel is free of blame.
Lewis’s murderous tendencies have never gone away. Noel and Katie discover he has also been killing past lottery winners and pocketing the grand prize. This is why his base of operations is so extravagant.
Following these discoveries, Noel and Katie try to escape, but Lewis is quick to apprehend Noel. Katie still manages to get away but her dealings with Lewis are far from over.
What happens to Katie and Noel?
While making her way through the city, Katie gets a call from Lewis. He tells her he will kill Noel if she doesn’t agree to meet with him.
As Katie has grown closer to Noel, she doesn’t want him to die. So she drives to the Hollywood Theatre, which is where Lewis is waiting with Noel, who is tied to a chair.
When Katie enters the auditorium, she threatens to kill herself and tells Lewis her suicide will stop him from claiming the prize money. This catches him off guard, which is what Katie expected. She uses this opportunity to tackle him, right before the room becomes filled with all of the other LA residents wanting to kill her.
Chaos ensues, during which Noel and Katie fend off anybody who tries to come close to them. Eventually, the fight goes to higher ground, where Katie faces off against Lewis. He thinks he has the upper hand but Katie is a force to be reckoned with.
Does Katie survive the day?
Katie drops from the rafters but not before grabbing one of Lewis’s grenades. As she falls, the grenade goes off, killing the villain.
Luckily, Katie doesn’t meet her own demise. Down below are some of her fans who are as keen to protect her as Noel is. They quickly assemble a safety net and catch her before she hits the ground.
Moments later, there’s cause for jubilation as Katie discovers she has survived till sundown. This is bad news for the assembled mob who are no longer allowed to kill her.
How do Katie and Noel spend the prize money?
Instead of giving Noel 10% of the commission, she gives him 50% instead. We then fast forward 6 months into the future when Katie and Noel have used some of their money to set up their own protection agency.
At the movie’s ending, they are sat on a super yacht, which Katie has bought with some of her winnings. As we watch them relaxing together, we can’t help but be glad they have an opportunity to rest following the ordeal they previously went through.
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