We are used to seeing film protagonists play casino games, and movies have a long history of depicting gambling. Chess and board games also appear on-screen fairly regularly, with the television show The Queen’s Gambit being seen in over 60 million households within its first month of release in 2020. So, what about bingo? From the late 1990s onwards, bingo has begun to be shown or referenced in more films and TV shows. We’ve referenced a few standout examples below.
Source: Pexels
Sometimes Bingo is included as comic relief, while at other times it’s used to juxtapose a sense of unease in horror movies. It may also be a metaphor for chance and opportunity. As online bingo continues to increase in popularity, we expect to see it more and more. To following the trends that we see in real life, we may start to see people play bingo online, rather than in bingo halls, in contemporary films.
Big Momma’s House 2 (2006)
The sequel to Martin Lawrence’s 2000 cross-dressing cop comedy sees Lawrence’s FBI agent Malcolm don the ‘old lady’ disguise and take a job as a nanny in a suspect’s house. One of the film’s standout scenes takes place in a bingo hall. The whole family is in attendance, and we see them play bingo as the scene plays out. The daughter, Carrie, decides to shout ‘Bingo!’ and chaos ensues. Particularly when one bingo player accuses ‘Big Momma’ of ‘stealing her man!’. The comedy comes from ‘Big Momma’ having to defend herself and protect the family unit, without breaking character. Audiences lapped up the antics and Big Momma’s House 2 has grossed $141m+ worldwide to date, hugely exceeding its $40 million budget.
Source: Pexels
Bad Grandpa (2013)
Not to be confused with the Robert Deniro/Zac Efron gross-out comedy Dirty Grandpa, Bad Grandpa is a Jackass production. The story follows octogenarian Irving Zisman’s road trip as he tries to reunite his grandson with his real father. The film includes a scene in a bingo hall where Irving causes disruption by making lots of noise, drinking marker fluid, and generally misbehaving. It could be any game, but as bingo is traditionally associated with the older generations, including this game in particular makes the scene even funnier.
Irving is not a typical grandpa, he’s a ‘Bad Grandpa’ or rather he’s a badly behaved grandpa. Of course, Irving isn’t a grandpa at all, he’s a character created by Johnny Knoxville. Still, in the context of the story, his willingness to dedicate so much time to search for his grandson’s father is a testament to his true nature.
King of the Bingo Game (1999)
A much more somber entry to our list, this 1990s film is based on the short story of the same name by Ralph Ellison and is set in the 1920s. The plot follows an African American man, Sonny, who retreats from the Great Depression into a bingo hall. Here, Bingo is a metaphor for an illusion of control. It is shown at the end of the book and film that Bingo is a game of chance and Sonny has no more control over the ‘bonus wheel’ than he does over any other aspect of his life. The story explores the highs and lows of fame, delusion, and the random nature of life.
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