PLOT SUMMARY: When their beloved Bingo Hall is taken over by a mysterious man, Lupita, and her friends must band together to get rid of the threat.
Are you feeling lucky?
Then what would be the first thing you do? How about a bit of gambling? Imagine winning a large cash prize. Nothing like it, isn't it? Definitely solves most of life's problems.
While most gambling games can be complicated, the easiest game to play is bingo. We've played that since we were kids, haven't we? Of course, at that time a game won at bingo entailed a toy as a prize. Or a set of glasses. Or a display piece.
It was only later when we realized we could play bingo with money as well.
Bingo Hell is a movie that seems heavily inspired by Needful Things, a novel by Stephen King. Of course, the book had three-dimensional characters, exploring the depths and motivations of each character which is why the horror quotient seemed more effective.
The movie on the other hand didn't let us connect with the characters before all "hell" breaks loose.
BINGO HELL Movie Plot
When the movie opens, we see an elderly man enter the house, looking very happy. He has a briefcase in his hand and he's reminiscing about his wife. Soon enough, he opens a briefcase and starts pushing bingo balls into his mouth until he chokes on them and dies.
We then meet Lupita, a hot-headed elderly woman who isn't too happy that her neighborhood is changing. Businesses are closing down, houses are being sold, and the hipsters keep hanging about cafes.
When Lupita sees a young woman walking with a crafted coffee and her boyfriend, she bumps against her so that she drops her coffee. Lupita snarks while the young woman walks away in frustration. The scene doesn't seem too believable. Would anyone just walk away after being deliberately pushed? Or was it because Lupita is sort of like the godmother of Oak Springs and no one wants to cross her?
Either way, Lupita spends her day speaking her mind, not caring if she offends her friends too in the process.
She goes into the salon and meets with Yolanda, gabs with her until her best friend Dolores comes.
Dolores complains about her daughter-in-law and the lack of discipline she's bestowed on her son Caleb. Lupita makes a remark, offends Dolores and then right before she leaves, tells Dolores that she loves her. Dolores forgives her friend immediately.
The next stop is the Bingo Hall and Lupita is surprised to find that the owner, Mario, isn't there. Now Mario is supposed to be the man from the first scene. The sad part about Oak Springs is that people could disappear or drop dead and no one comes looking for them. Mario's body would have never been discovered if Lupita hadn't had a hunch to go check upon him.
A worker, Eric, is there and showing off the keys to open all doors inside the hall. Lupita gets jealous that Mario is handing out keys to just anybody.
Lupita and Dolores take it upon themselves to call out bingo numbers. The winners get a coupon from Yolanda's salon. The funds accumulated from the games are given to Yolanda to help her business. Lupit announced what a wonderful community they are that helps each other. They sure are, except when it comes to checking up on each other when you don't hear from them. The first thought would be that something bad happened to them, isn't it?
Moving on, Lupita finds a hundred-dollar note on the street that she pockets but not before trying to get rid of the green goo on it. That money is then touched by Dolores and then given to Yolanda.
Lupita also notices a car with a plate that reads Mr Big Winner.
The next morning Lupita wakes up to find flyers all around the town and even on her front door, announcing that the bingo Hall was under new management. In one night, all of this was accomplished. Clearly, something otherworldly is going on...
Lupita gets cross and rips out all the flyers from the street but it is too late, everyone around town has seen the ad and head to the hall.
"Are you feeeelllling lucky?" Mr Big makes his grand appearance, hat, and suit and all. Now how is he big exactly?
Dolores notices Raquel also there and they make annoyed faces at each other.
Everyone's hands are stamped with the dollar sign which seems to get absorbed in their skin.
Raquel is asked what she would do if she turns out to be a big winner and she makes a snarky remark about starting life anew. Dolores makes a grumpy face and rolls her eyes.
Of course, Raquel wins and the grand prize is ten thousand dollars.
Raquel's first order of business is to leave the house, go shopping and move into a hotel room.
She thinks she is wearing an expensive necklace when in reality she is in a dingy place and ripping her chest open with her nails. Behind her is Mr Big, egging her on to take her own life.
Caleb keeps wondering where his mother is and finds a message on Dolores' phone from Raquel who texts that Caleb is Dolores' problem now. Caleb gets angry and roams around the street, stealing candy bars and weapons from cars when Eric catches him.
Eric asks to share the candy and then narrates a story where Lupita and Dolores had cleared the streets of all crime, going as far as to run gangs out, before settling the town. This is why everyone has high regard for the two old ladies.
Caleb has a change of heart immediately.
Meanwhile, more people flock to the bingo hall the next day. Lupita finally goes to see Mario to give him a piece of her mind for selling her beloved bingo hall. When she sees her friend dead, she sheds some tears and then spots the green goo. She now knows who is behind the death.
Clarence and Morris head out to the bingo Hall too and Clarence wins a hundred thousand dollars.
Clarence goes to his garage to celebrate and thinks he's drinking a celebratory drunk when in reality it is bleach. He then proceeds to stick his arms in a car motor and shreds his arms. Blood splatters everywhere and he dies. Mr Big is inside the car, chuckling. Green goo drips somewhere.
Lupita goes to Clarence and freaks out when she sees she finds another friend dead. She's running out of friends now and decides to confront Mr Big who has managed to lure a larger crowd to the hall.
Caleb and Eric make their way into the hall because the boy thinks the hall is responsible for his mother's disappearance.
Mr Big makes Eric inject himself with a syringe and then steps on his head. Smash. Eric is dead.
BINGO HELL Ending Explained with Spoilers!
Lupita comes and sees everyone in the hall is under a trance. She tries to get them to leave but Mr Big decides to not use his tricks to cause hallucinations. No, not for Lupita. He uses physical force on her. Caleb uses the gun on Mr Big. It stuns him and it breaks the trance on everyone's minds. The residents blink and are brought back to reality. Lupita thrashes the place and the other residents decide to beat up Mr Big with hands and legs.
Mr Big doesn't stand a chance with this crowd. The things, like the bingo balls and the money. His powers are gone immediately and he is easily defeated.
Okay, I'll admit it was satisfying to watch him get beaten up. That one scene made the movie enjoyable.
The rest of it, the lack of character development, the not enough scenes to actually make you want to hate the antagonist and root for the residents, all of it was lacking.
Scare scale: 3/5
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