Now Showing: Monopoly

 

Monopoly

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy

Director: Max Barbakow

Writer: Nic Suzuki

Based on the board game

Cast: Paul Rudd, Aubrey Plaza, Steve Martin, Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Richardson

Plot: Jason Wolf (Paul Rudd) walks through a city that, at first glance, seems normal but has oddities. People use Monopoly money for daily transactions. Street signs read names like Mediterranean Avenue and Boardwalk. Jason works as a struggling real estate agent, constantly outbid and outsmarted by larger corporations. He tries closing a deal for a small apartment complex, but the client casually pulls out a giant die and rolls it on the table, deciding the purchase based on the roll. Jason is bewildered, but the clients persists, claiming that is simply how things are done around there. As Jason leaves, defeated, he accidentally walks on a block marked Baltic Avenue. A policeman immediately hands him a fine, stating that he owes rents for stepping foot on Baltic Avenue. Confused, Jason pays the fine using Monopoly money without realizing how bizarre this interaction is.

Jason meets Danny Thimble (Paul Walter Hauser) at a dingy diner after hearing rumors of a man who knows how the city works. Danny's table is covered in papers and drawings, mapping out the "Monopoly board" that controls the city. Danny pulls out a tinfoil hat, muttering that the dice are always watching. He believes there are hidden rules governing the world and he's spent years trying to crack the code. Jason laughs him off until Danny hands him a Chance card out of nowhere, which Jason reads aloud: "Advance to Go. Collect $200." Immediately after Jason reads the card, a passerby hands him $200 of Monopoly money and congratulates him. Jason starts to believe that Danny may be onto something.

Jason and Danny follow rumors about a wealthy, elusive figure who controls much of the city's property: Flora Ferrari (Aubrey Plaza). The setting shifts to an upscale real estate auction held at a lavish ballroom. Giant dice hang from the ceiling as decor. Flora, dressed in an impeccably gown, lounges at the front, sipping champagne and casually bidding on properties. Flora effortlessly outbids everyone for a prime property named Park Place without even looking up from her phone. She toys with her competition, dropping sarcastic remarks about bankrupting her competitors. Flora notices Jason in the crowd, sensing his confusion about the rules. She approaches him, hinting that she knows how the game works and teases that she should stick with him and she may teach him how to roll the dice. She leaves him with a Get Out of Jail Free card before walking away.

Jason and Danny go to meet Don Irons (Sam Richardson), a local investor known for his perpetual bad luck. They find him in a surreal jail, marked with huge neon letters: JAIL, where Don is stuck behind giant, comically oversized jail bars. Don explains, with a resigned tone, that he keeps landing in jail no matter what he does. He hasn't even committed any crimes. He continues to complain about his constant bad luck with dice rolls, claiming to  a magnet for bad dice rolls. Jason pitches the idea to him of taking down Mr. Monopoly, hinting that they can't keep playing by the game's absurd rules. Don, hesitant at first, agrees to join the team in the hope of finally breaking his unlucky streak.

Jason, Danny, and Don walk through the city, now noticing more of the world's surreal elements. The street layout resembles a Monopoly board grid. Random people occasionally roll dice to decide which way they turn or how far they walk. Huge property cards float down from the sky, causing chaos as people rush to grab them. Jason picks up a chance card that reads: Bank pays you dividend of $50." As he pockets the card, an ATM next to him spits out exactly $50 of Monopoly money. Danny, giddy with excitement, points out that they are inside a game, and Jason starts to come around to the idea. As they walk, they see a towering billboard of Mr. Monopoly (Steve Martin), smiling with a sinister smirk, as if watching over the entire city. 

The team tries to set up their first scheme as Jason suggests they buy up cheap properties in a rough neighborhood on Mediterranean Avenue and flip them for profit. They sneak around, trying to collect property deeds, but things quickly spiral out of control. Danny, overzealous, pulls out a Chance card that reads "Pay school fees of $150," and immediately, a school administrator appears demanding money. Meanwhile, Don accidentally lands on a property owned by Mr. Monopoly and is forced to mortgage everything he owns to pay rent.

Jason goes to Flora, asking for help. they meet at a rooftop bar where Flora lounges, completely at ease with the chaos around her. She mocks Jason's failed attempts at property deals, but eventually, she starts to explain how to truly manipulate the game. Flora reveals she knows Mr. Monopoly personally and hints that he plays dirty. She agrees to join Jason's team, but warns him that she will always be looking out for himself first and foremost. 

Danny convinces the team to test one of the Chance cards he' s collected, thinking it could give them the game-winning advantage. They gather in an abandoned building, excited about the card's potential. Jason reads the card aloud, "Go to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200," and instantly, a police officer arrives, shoving him and Don into a comically oversized police car. Danny panics, realizing his plan has backfired. 

While in jail, Jason and Don finds old newspapers showing that Mr. Monopoly controls almost every property in the city. He owns not only the most expensive properties but also all the utilities, railroads, and major hotels. The scope of his empire is overwhelming. Jason begins to understand that their only way to win is to target Boardwalk and Park Place, the most valuable properties in the city. He hatches a plan to rig the auction for these key properties, knowing it's the only way to bankrupt Mr. Monopoly. 

The group holds a mock auction in an abandoned warehouse to practice their plan. Flora teaches Jason the art of psychological manipulation in bidding wars, while Don constantly messes up by overbidding and landing himself in more debt. Danny obsessively studies the rules, searching for loopholes. He's paranoid about the exact wording on Chance and Community Chest cards, treating them like sacred texts. Flora, meanwhile, uses her charm to distract Jason. 

The auction for Boardwalk and Park Place takes place in a neon-lit ballroom filled with wealthy bidders, many of whom are literal game pieces - human-sized versions of thimbles, irons, wheelbarrows, and racecars. Mr. Monopoly presides over the event with his smug presence. Flora effortlessly slips into her role, using charm and cunning to outmaneuver the other bidders. Meanwhile, Danny nervously clutches a stack of Chance cards, muttering about possible outcomes. Mr. Monopoly makes a veiled threat to Jason, hinting that he controls more than just properties - he controls the game itself. 

Mid-auction, Flora seemingly betrays Jason, bidding against him for Boardwalk just to drive up the price. Jason confronts her in a side conversations, but Flora calmly sip her drink, reminding Jason that she was always clear that she plays for herself. Just when it seems like Flora has turned, she pulls a surprise move by playing a Community Chest card, reversing the bid and helping Jason regain control of the auction. It is unclear whether she ever intended to betray him or if this was all part of her game. 

As the auction reaches its peak, Jason and Mr. Monopoly engage in a tense back-and-forth bidding war for Boardwalk. the ballroom becomes chaotic, with people shouting absurdly high bids, giant dice rolling dice across the floor, and Chance card flying through the air. Mr. Monopoly tries to bend the rules, pulling out an old, obscure game rule that would allow him to win automatically. But Jason, quick on his feet, plays a house rule that turns the tables on him, something Mr. Monopoly never accounted for.

Jason rolls the dice for the final bid, and the outcome will determine who controls Boardwalk. The tension builds as the dice roll in slow motion, spinning dramatically through the air. Mr. Monopoly watches in horror as Jason rolls a perfect number, winning the property. Mr. Monopoly, in disbelief, tries to invoke another rule to overturn the result, but Jason counters it with a clever legal twist involving an obscure Monopoly rulebook. Jason wins the auction, seemingly bankrupting Mr. Monopoly and taking control of the city's most valuable properties. 

Just as the team celebrates their victory, the entire ballroom glitches. The cityscape flickers, and the Monopoly board resets itself. All of the properties revert to Mr. Monopoly's control as if nothing ever happened. Jason, stunned, realizes they've been playing in a never-ending loop. Jason turns to the camera, asking if they are going to play the game forever. The team groans as they prepare for another round of Monopoly, trapped in an eternal game.

Jason, Flora, Danny, and Don are back at square one, preparing for the next round of the game. They sit around a table, discussing strategies, buts it's clear they're resigned to their fate. Flora smirks at Jason, teasing that she thinks he's starting to like the game. 

Don, predictably, lands in jail again, sighing as the oversized bars slam shut. This time, he's prepared, pulling out a pack of snacks and a board game to pass the time.