Is Queenpins based on a true story? Explained

The plot for the 2021 movie Queenpins starring Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste is taken from a real-life incident.

Some elements of the movie have been altered to make the characters look more multi-dimensional. However, the crux of the story remains similar to the real-life incident it draws inspiration from.

The crime comedy written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly narrates the story of Connie Kaminski and Joanna Johnson who defraud major conglomerates by selling coupons and costing them millions.

The story bears a striking resemblance to a real-life incident involving three women Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko Fountain who successfully carried off a 40 million dollar coupon scam before finally getting caught.

Disclaimer: The article consists of some major spoilers from the movie. Please read at your discretion.

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Is Queenpins based on a true story?

Released on September 10, 202, Queenpins tells the story of two women who end up running a coupon racket worth millions. As mentioned already, the story is based on a similar real-life incident involving three women: Robin Ramirez (the mastermind behind the plan), Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko Fountain who carried out an elaborate couponing scam in Phoenix, Arizona.

In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, who are the writers and directors of the movie said:

“The framework, the scam is really true to what happened, how they got these counterfeit coupons. They sold them off of this website, similar to what we do. Postal inspectors were involved. They made all of this money and bought sports cars and guns and all of these sorts of things that are similar to what happened.”

Robin Ramirez was part of this scam way before the other two, who only joined her later in the endeavor. Together they set up a website called SavvyShopperSite.com where they started selling coupons for free products. They also sold these coupons on other websites like eBay.

For each counterfeit coupon sold, the trio used to generate considerable profits that would later help them achieve their millionaire status. The carefully crafted plan was working too well for the three until they eventually got busted.

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Is Queenpins available to watch on Netflix?

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Queenpins is available for viewing on Netflix, Showtime, and Paramount Plus. However, if you are still unable to watch it on these platforms, there are alternatives. You can do so in three ways:

• You can rent or buy it on YouTube movies
• You can rent it on Amazon Prime or,
• You can use a VPN to watch the movie on Netflix or Showtime.

As of January 2024, Netflix authorized the worldwide release of the movie following which it achieved the top spot in several countries. However, there are still several states and countries that have not been able to gain access to the movie.

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How is the movie different from the actual story?

Although Queenpins is heavily based on a real-life incident, it does diverge from the original story in a few ways.

In the original story, the incidents circle three main characters however, in the movie, two characters are the focus of the plot.

The real story involves a coupon scam that helped these women earn millions while industry giants lost money. The movie takes on a similar path however, gives a comedic angle to the crime and provides backstories for the characters.

The backstories add substance to the characters and make them look multi-dimensional. For example, Kirby Howell Baptiste's character turns to coupon scamming after failing to make it as a vlogger.

Another thing the makers of the movie decided to meddle with was the ultimate fate of those involved in the scam. In real life, both Fountain and Johnson live and work in Phoenix whereas Ramirez is still under probation.

The movie takes a slightly different stance and shows both Connie and JoJo conspiring to restart their coupon scam in a foreign country.

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Queenpins marks the return of the dynamic duo of Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. The two were last seen together in The Good Place and Veronica Mars.