One of the most popular things on TV in recent years has been these shocking and entirely bonkers documentary series’ about real life scandals that seem too bizarre to be true (‘Tiger King’ is a recent example) and ‘McMillions’ is very much in that vein.
The series unravels the web that was created when one man decided to cheat the McDonalds Monopoly game and turn it into a large scale con, leading to involvements with everyone from the FBI, the IRS, everyday Americans, and the Mob.
I won’t spoil the ins and outs of the story as the reveals are the best part, but it is really entertaining to watch it play out. Despite a reasonably serious subject matter, the series has a very light and playful tone, and is therefore a enjoyable watch.
It’s not perfect and in my opinion stretches out at 4 episode series into a 6 episode one, therefore losing some momentum as it goes along.
The show features interviews with a wide range of fascinating characters that often make up for times when the story drags or doesn’t seem to add up, and in the end, the pay off is worth it.
Rating = 3.5/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 