Every Day Isn't Sunday: A Lottery Lesson in Bad Decisions

Is this for you?

If you like movies where characters make the most frustrating, head-scratching choices imaginable, you will probably have a blast here. This isn't high art, but it’s a decent time-killer for fans of old-school moral plays. If you prefer your protagonists to be smart or even remotely likable, stay away. Erich is a chore.

Erich wins the lottery. The first thing he does is quit his drafting job, which is fair. But then he goes on this bizarre, destructive bender of spending that makes you want to reach into the screen and shake some sense into him. It’s hard to watch him burn bridges with his grandmother. She’s the only one making sense, really.

The pacing feels a bit like a Sunday afternoon that won't end. There are scenes that linger on his newfound 'wealth'—fine suits, fancy dinners, the works—but the movie is clearly more interested in the vultures circling him. These con men aren't exactly masterminds, but they don't have to be. Erich is practically handing them his wallet with a bow on it.

There is something inherently sad about watching him alienate his bride. You can see the moment she realizes she’s lost him to his own ego. It’s not subtle. It doesn't need to be.

Sometimes the film feels like it’s struggling to figure out if it wants to be a comedy or a warning. The shift between his reckless spending and the looming threats of the swindlers feels a little jagged. It reminds me a bit of the tonal shifts you see in movies like Reunion in Vienna, where the stakes are social, but the consequences feel real enough to leave a mark.

A few notes from my notepad:

• The drafting office in the beginning looks so stuffy you can practically smell the pencil shavings.
• The con men look like they are having way too much fun.
• Why is there always a scene where the rich guy thinks he’s suddenly a genius at everything?
• The grandmother’s side-eye game is 10/10.

The movie doesn't really try to get deep into the psychology of winning big. It just shows the collapse. It’s a bit thin, honestly. By the time the third act rolls around, you’re mostly just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s not as heavy as something like The Priest from Kirchfeld, which hits much harder, but it keeps you watching.

In the end, it’s a simple story. Don't quit your job and ignore your family just because you found a lucky ticket. It’s a lesson as old as time, served up with a few laughs and a lot of bad suits. Worth a watch if you have a slow evening.