The Kristen Bell Flop Getting A Second Life On Netflix

In the world of streaming services, it's never too late for movies and television shows to get a second chance. This is certainly the case for "Queenpins," the 2021 crime comedy starring Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. Despite failing to generate much buzz or box office revenue during its theatrical run, the film has gone on to crack the Netflix Top 10 in January 2024.

"Queenpins" follows Connie Kominski (Bell) and Joanna Johnson (Howell-Baptiste) as they concoct an elaborate coupon scam that sees them selling unused coupons from major corporations online. While critics weren't crazy about the comedy caper, giving it a meager 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, the current popularity of the film is reflected in the much stronger audience rating, which sits at 82%.

The film may have been a box office disappointment, bringing in less than $1.3 million on an estimated budget of $7 million, but considering the numbers that it's doing on the Netflix Top 10, where it's been watched 4.4 million times and currently sits in the #7 slot as of this writing, it suggests that the film is getting a pretty big second life from viewers on the small screen.

While the plot for "Queenpins" may sound somewhat outlandish, it's actually based on the true story of three women who pulled off a similar scam in real life. In 2012, Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson were arrested by police in Phoenix, AZ, where they were found to have $25 million in fake coupons.

In the end, Fountain and Johnson testified against Ramirez, and she ended up in prison for two years. All three women were also ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble. Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, who co-wrote and co-directed "Queenpins," told The Hollywood Reporter that they discovered the news reports while "[taking] deep dives into the internet to try to find stories that are interesting and unique and haven't been told before."

As they were doing research, they stumbled upon the premise of their movie on a coupon blog. "We called the detective in Phoenix and talked to him, and he talked about how it was a legitimate case and really happened and the impact that scam has on our economy," Pullapilly explained.

If the idea of a crime comedy about counterfeiting coupons appeals to you or you want to see what all the hype is about regarding the popular Netflix offering, "Queenpins" can currently be viewed by anyone in the United States with a standard subscription to the streaming service.