The debut film by Paul Thomas Anderson, Hard Eight starts off as a free-wheeling film about a casino pro (Philip Baker Hall) and his new protege (John C. Reilly), who start winning big at the casino. Everything changes when the young craps player falls in love with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), forcing him to break some of his mentor’s rules to disastrous effects. In Daniel Craig’s debut as a young James Bond, Casino Royale features 007 playing in a high-stakes Texas hold ’em poker tournament. He’s up against Mads Mikkelsen, who plays an international criminal with a questionable tell, risking the funds of the exact sort of people you don’t want to be on the bad side of. Whether you’re in it to learn how to beat the house or just want to hear the soothing sounds of chips stacking and slots spinning, these are the best gambling movies to put you right in the action. Much like any other productions, the crew faced various challenges, especially during their shoot in the casino.
Dark City
Which makes sense, as lead actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford had previously worked with director George Roy Hill on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The performers share a tangible chemistry with the filmmaker, and that dynamic pops out through the screen of every featured frame. Its story of two professional grifters who team up to con a mob boss and avenge the death of their mutual friend.
How to Watch Hard Eight
The Card Counter was recently added to the Netflix movie library, so this is your best option for watching this movie. Beyond that, you’ll need to pay to rent the film, but there is a wide choice of services where it’s available for a small fee. This movie sees Mark Wahlberg play Dan, an ex-assassin turned family man, who must take his family on an epic road trip around the US, when his past catches up with him. The film takes in many iconic locations, including Monument Valley, the Hoover Dam, and Hope Memorial Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, before the family descends on Vegas. Upon being released from prison, suave thief Danny Ocean gathers the gang and heads to Las Vegas, determined to organise the greatest heist in history. The team of highly talented risk-takers concoct a mission to steal from the three biggest casinos in Las Vegas — The MGM Grand, the Mirage, and the Bellagio — all property of Terry Benedict.
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An origin story of Las Vegas, Bugsy is principally a study of Bugsy Siegel, a gangster who travels to the desert, convinced he’s seen the mob’s future. Bugsy is less about gambling — although Siegel surely takes some big chances — than it is about Sin City’s messy birth, which proves fascinating, even if the movie’s glitzy, prestige-picture trappings are a bit limiting. The duality of gambling movies reflects the multifaceted nature of casino culture itself—where the thrill of the game meets the reality of the risks involved.
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As other casino gambling movies of all time, Atlantic City is a 1980 romantic crime film starring Burt Lancaster & Susan Sarandon, directed by Louis Malle. A gangster & aspiring blackjack dealer becomes involved in a dangerous scheme. Sally Matthews (Sarandon) relocates to Atlantic City, becoming a prominent blackjack dealer.
- Based on the book by renowned Chinese author Yan Geling, A City Called Macao is jam packed with multiple SAR locations, including the Ruins of St Paul, Macao Airport and the casinos at the Lisboa, Grand Lisboa and Venetian.
- This rollercoaster ride of a film showcases the downward spiral of gambling addiction and the desperate lengths one will go to chase euphoria.
- I didn’t do any of my tells.’ To which Maverick replied, ‘You held your breath.
- Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow, “Hard Eight” is a neo-noir thriller set in the world of Reno’s casinos.
- While most gambling-based movies are about the player, this one is unique since it is about a blackjack dealer.
- Its compelling plot becomes a character study of sorts, and Jack Manfred should by dint of that go down as the single most compelling protagonist to ever be featured in a gambling movie.
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It exudes a particularly anxiety-inducing tone to its general style of cinematography and sound design, which remains a main talking point among fans to this day. If you happened to miss this critical darling from a few years back, it’s undoubtedly worth checking out. The heist is shown on screen, but things get interesting when Pitt’s character, a hitman named Jackie Cogan comes into play.
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The movie is of course a highly romanticized version of actual events, but it’s captivating and definitely one of the top gambling movies on Netflix to watch on any day. Then you can pretend you are in your own movie playing against hardened pros. Movies about gambling take audiences on exhilarating journeys with characters who face overwhelming odds, yet navigate through with luck, strategy, and skill. Gambling is an integral part of each story’s unfolding, whether through the gamblers’ pursuit of fortune, the excitement of outwitting adversaries, or the psychological battles they wage against themselves. The immersive plots and stunning visuals of these https://true-fortune.us/login/ cause viewers to become fully invested in the characters and their gripping stories.
THE CARD COUNTER (
With Matt Damon and John Malkovich in one movie, you know the film will be worth your time. Add poker and gambling to the mix, and you’ve got Rounders helping you make the best of your weekend poker movies night. The charm of the 1950 crime noir film Dark City is how quickly a movie about gambling can turn into a murder mystery revenge flick. In his Hollywood debut, Charlton Heston plays Danny Haley, the owner of an illegal gambling operation who turns into a detective after one of the patrons of his establishment commits suicide and has a brother hellbent on avenging his death.
GAMBLING CITY (
Gambling movies are so remarkably tense for viewers because the stakes of casino games are already inherently high. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that filmmakers have returned to the well as inspiration for thrillers, dramas, and action-packed adventures over the years. Chow would return to Macao again in 2023’s One More Chance in which he played against type by taking on the role of a deadbeat gambler.
- The story of law student Mike who, surprise surprise, is a bit of a gambling addict and loses all his cash and his journey of revenge and redemption against the man who sent him broke.
- They stand at the crossroads between glorification and caution, often blurring the lines between entertainment and real-life consequences.
- Upon its release, the film received a mixed response, with some critics praising it for its tongue-in-cheek self-awareness, and others criticising the project as a shallow cash grab.
- Some of those movies even won awards for the way they represented the stories of different gamblers, their struggles, and their obsession.
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Since debuting in Western cinema in the 1942 French flick, Gambling Hell, the gaming hub has not looked back, having welcomed such iconic characters as James Bond and Indiana Jones. No, you can have the same fun when you try the Polish online casino sites that offer a variety of games. This classic film from Martin Scorsese features an enticing duo in Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci. We get to see the glitz and glam, as well as a cruel, seedy underside that’s packed with mobsters. Based on a book by Nicholas Pileggi, “Casino” offers a thrilling crime drama that’s sure to draw you in. We’ll kick things off with “Croupier,” an intriguing movie starring Clive Owen as Jack Manfred, an aspiring, down-on-his-luck writer.
- Another option among the best casino films about gambling of all time is an action-adventure James Bond movie, Casino Royale.
- They set out to sharpen their skills, with Vincent eventually out-hustling the original hustler.
- A great buddy film—and Robert Altman’s most underrated classic—California Split stars Elliot Gould and George Segal, both performing incredible feats of stoic face-acting.
- This film is one of our top movies about poker because the world of gambling can serve as both a refuge and a battlefield for personal demons.
- Sam soon discovers their affair, confronts Ginger, and ends his friendship with Nicky.
- Maverick is a 1994 Western comedy film starring Mel Gibson, directed by Richard Donner, gaining a 7/10 IMDb rating and 68% Rotten Tomatoes.
- Clive Owen delivers a riveting performance in “Croupier,” portraying a struggling writer who starts working as a croupier.
Bets picture: The 25 greatest gambling movies
Sitting in-between those two periods is The Big Sleep, a charming, sleazy noir about a private eye who flirts with Lauren Bacall and caresses her gambling debts. The highest-grossing film of a year that also included Die Hard, Coming to America, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit– Rain Man coasts off its feel-good charms, particularly the blackjack scene between Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. But he does have some gems, like this 1999 cult classic about a croupier who spins roulette tables by night, writes novels by day.
Though the movie comes down to a roulette spin, most of the movie is spent at the table, where the skilled Bennett plays some exceptional blackjack strategy. There are a number of casino movies out there, many of them set in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Though gambling acts as something of a backdrop in some, there are other movies where a specific game is at the center of the story. Mel Gibson plays a poker expert in the Old West, who’s making his way to a renowned tournament to prove his mettle. Along the way, he encounters many obstacles as he attempts to earn enough money to pay the tournament entry fee.
THE GAMBLER (
The film relates a story about the dark side of casinos, revealing what’s on the other side of the table. Pale Flower is Japanese film about a yakuza hitman drawn to gambling by a beautiful woman who is constantly losing large sums of money. The ’60s noir expertly captures the intensity of the game despite the audience never learning how to play the tile-based Hanafuda. This seedy, ’50s gambling noir was the Hollywood debut for actor Charlton Heston, who would go on to star in Planet of the Apes and The Ten Commandments. In Dark City, he plays an underground casino owner based in Los Angeles who must deal with patrons who won’t pay their dues.
It is also probably the most violent movie involving casinos as the story does not shy away from the Mob related behaviour in Las Vegas at the time. The MIT gang from 21 can be happy they never card counted at one of Frank Rosenthal’s casinos. In short, Netflix has a bunch of awesome movies all about casinos that cater to different tastes. Whether you like action-packed heists, tense poker games, or stories about interesting characters, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Axel Freed, played by James Caan, appears successful with a good job and a generally stable life.
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Throughout the film, this control of one’s decisions central to gambling is what he tries to instill in a Cirk Baufort (Tye Sheridan) seeking to avenge his father’s death lethally. When films like The Card Counter uncover the psychological connection between being good at gambling and dealing with being a human, they create something truly magical that stands the test of time. There was a glorious point in the ‘90s when Matt Damon seemed only to play unassuming boy genius to his degenerate friends, and Rounders is arguably his finest portrayal of the golden boy archetype. The typical gambling tropes (mobsters and a crushing debt catalyst) are present. Still, there’s a cerebral element to the filmmaking that makes Rounders awe-inspiring even to someone who only thinks the river is a body of water. McDermott sees inside the mind (and hand) of a diabolically stoic Russian mobster by watching how he eats Oreos.
As the British secret services seem to be out of their depth, they cannot outright go and arrest Le Chiffre, but what they can do is get close, play with the man’s hand, and beat him at a game of poker. Of course, there is no better-qualified agent to embark on this task than 007 himself. Raymond who has never been to a casino before looks confused and befuddled. Charlie, who has realised that Raymond is literally a walking calculator, leads him to the blackjack table where, you guessed it, they win big.
HONEYMOON IN VEGAS (
The film is a masterpiece, and it deserves respect for the quality of drama created by such simple materials. If you want a light-hearted knockabout with a guys getting dealt quads over quads this isn’t the film for you, but if you want a film about gambling warts and all then check it out. Find out which of Ebert’s picks was “one of the worst movies ever made.”
- Sometimes, they’re running underworld operations; sometimes those involved are super spies.
- Few gambling movies portray gambling less as a talent and more as a coping mechanism, like Paul Schrader’s 2021 crime drama The Card Counter.
- Going to a casino then was a reason to dress up and the suits and dresses in the movie show the lifestyle being lived by some of the gamblers or at least the lifestyle they aspired to.
- Win It All is a refreshing change with the flick being a comedy more so than the gutting plot of Uncut Gems or even the tantalizing seductive action-packed plot of Casino Royale.
- They will play until they win a high-stakes poker game at a casino in New Orleans.
- Betting has never seemed as bitterly hopeless as it does in the Safdie Brother’s intense farce about a jeweler (Adam Sandler), the mob, and Kevin Garnett.
- Ocean’s Eleven isn’t just one of the greatest gambling movies, it could appear on lists for the best heist movies, best George Clooney movies, best movies from Las Vegas, and even best movies snubbed by the Academy Awards.
- A Martin Scorsese gem, Casino is about the competition between best friends, one a Mafioso and the other a casino executive, for a gambling empire and a fast-living socialite.
If you haven’t checked this out, it’s worth it for their performances alone. Most of these are set in Vegas, but that isn’t a qualification to place on the list. A few of these are in abroad casinos, and others aren’t set in gambling houses at all. Clive Owen delivers a riveting performance in “Croupier,” portraying a struggling writer who starts working as a croupier. We get to see what gambling’s like from a dealer’s perspective while gaining insight into the manipulations, calculations, and human drama unfolding at the casino table.
- It’s easily one of the top casino movies you could watch, packed with action and thrills.
- Catacombe is a Dutch movie directed by Victor D. Ponten and one of the grittiest movies about gambling you will find on Netflix.
- 21 follows Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) who will need to have $300,000 for the program in order to get admitted into Harvard School of Medicine.
- Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” stands unrivaled as a cinematic masterpiece that explores the seductive yet brutal world of the gambling industry.
- You take a risk every time you buy a ticket at the theater, or queue up a movie from your couch.
- Just like many other good casino movies, Croupier emphasizes the psychological toll of juggling luck, chance, and avarice.
- Additionally, they often evoke a range of emotions that elevate the viewing experience more than any other topics that are often depicted in movies.
- This exciting crime thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a dishonest detective.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, “Ocean’s Eleven” is a stylish and slick heist film set in the glamorous casinos of Las Vegas. Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, a charismatic ex-con who recruits a team of skilled criminals to pull off an ambitious robbery of three of the biggest casinos in Vegas. Gambling is the setting rather than the content of this story and it’s all the better for it with the casino giving the film its heart and its edge while the engaging story of those who try and make money from it plays out.
There is a thin line between a con-man and a gambler, and the Best Picture-winning The Sting is one of the best films in both genres. From a phony off-track betting parlor and waitresses doubling as assassins to fake FBI agents and real murder, The Sting is the benchmark of great gambling movies. The movie features James Caan, an English Professor who has a gambling addiction. The Professor uses most of his earnings to gamble and borrows more money from lenders if he needs money to bet. James steps into an underground poker game where older men are busy playing cards as if they were sitting at home.
His obsession with danger and the excitement that gambling brings leaves him prey to all sorts of misfortunes. Thus, grab some popcorn, get comfy on your couch, and get ready to have a blast watching these exciting casino movies on Netflix. It’s like a big treasure chest full of entertainment waiting for you to get in and have a great time.
- The movie storyline depicts Sam Ace’s rise to power as a casino operator.
- You can read the reviews to see which ones you might like to try first on several notable movie review websites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Roger Ebert, and the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).
- Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, a charismatic ex-con who recruits a team of skilled criminals to pull off an ambitious robbery of three of the biggest casinos in Vegas.
- If any of these famous movies make you want to go to your nearest land-based casino or sign up to a reputable online casino like 10bet, gamble responsibly and start by setting a reasonable spending budget.
- That is to say, everything about this movie drips with elegance and glamour, coupled with high stakes, bluffing, and gambling-esque tactics.
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Outside of Eddie’s hilarious misfortune and idiotic gambling logic, Win It All actually has an empathetic core and is a great advertisement for the benefits of addiction counseling. You could read up on the seedy history of Sin City, or you could spend close to three hours watching a Martin Scorcese masterpiece. Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert DeNiro) unofficially runs the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas at the direction of the Chicago Mafia and acts as the viewers’ eyes and ears to the unseen machinations of running a casino in Las Vegas. The payoffs to the mafia, the politicized wranglings with the Nevada Gaming Board, the berated Blackjack dealers, and the showgirls are explored like parts of the blueprints of the Vegas gambling world.
Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond redefined the character, bringing a gritty realism to the franchise. The film’s gripping central scene takes place at Montenegro’s luxurious Casino Royale, where Bond must outplay the sinister Le Chiffre in a nerve-racking game of Texas Hold’em poker. In this article, we explore the top 10 best casino movies of all time, providing you with cinematic gems that captivate both gambling aficionados and film lovers alike. We used the iMDB rating as the main criteria for differentiation because it happened to reflect our perspective on the listed Netflix casino movies. However, you should keep in mind that iMDB ratings are based on viewer input, not expert opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.
Mikkelsen plays the role of an arrogant terrorist banker, who ends up playing at Casino Royal for his life. It is a game of life and death, where the characters are gambling for their lives; that is why it is number one on our lists. When the protégé becomes the mentor, that’s when things get interesting. Reprising his role from 1961’s “The Hustler,” Paul Newman plays retired pool player Fast Eddie Felson, who takes Tom Cruise’s character, Vincent, under his wing as a pool shark-in-training.
The vibrancy of emotion and improvisation seems to be unsurpassed in Altman’s production as well. In the purest sense this isn’t a gambling film at all, but it contains more lessons about how to win at sports betting than all all the other films on this list combined. Moneyball is the mostly-true tale of the Oakland A’s rise from zeroes to heroes in Major League Baseball in the US thanks to a radical shift in how they recruited their players.
The group faces many obstacles and challenges which they, quite naturally, manage to get out of cleverly. Because they succeed in their exceptionally complex mission and deliver an unexpected twist in the end, this movie deserves its spot on the list of the best casino movies in the history of cinema. What makes Casino Royale so popular is the 007-style mixture of secret missions and high-class gambling.
Directed by Robert Rossen and starring Paul Newman as “Fast Eddie” Felson, this is of course the film that sparked Scorsese and crew to create The Color of Money. And although that film was well-acclaimed in itself, The Hustler (1961) has almost gone down as a classic. What’s worth noting off the bat about this project is its utilization of interior monologues to emulate the neo-noir or detective style of film that screenwriter Paul Mayersburg and director Mike Hodges drew inspiration from. But Croupier (1998) also provides great insight into the ins and outs of casino work, with technical jargon around every corner of the British gambling house in which the film is set.