MOVIE QUEENPINS

STARRING: Kristen Bell, Vince Vaughn

Inspired by a multimillion-dollar counterfeit coupon scam that occurred in the US, the outrageous crime comedy reunites The Good Place co-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads, Connie and JoJo. A bored and frustrated homemaker, Connie hatches a scheme with her vlogger pal to steal coupons from mega corporations after realising they would get a coupon sent to them for a free item every time they complained. Together, the best friends from Phoenix set up a website called Savvy Super Saver to sell the coupons to interested parties to make millions. In an e ort to “clean” the money they make, the pair purchase boats, cars and even guns with the intent to resell, but end up living an opulent lifestyle equivalent to a drug lord!

While Queenpins is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. In 2012, Arizona police arrested three middle-aged women in possession of $33 million worth of forged coupons. They all pleaded guilty to the scam, which had been operating for years.

But the stars of the comedy have admitted they never spoke to the actual minds behind the crime to learn why they started it. “No, not at all,” Bell, 41, told The Wrap website, adding it wasn’t necessary to the story to have the real-life characteristics of the women. “Our writer and directors have added so many speci c elements to create a story that you would root for,” she explained.

(Available now on Paramount Plus)