Do you consider yourself to be a movie junkie? Are you the type of individual who always tries to watch the latest productions from Hollywood? If you answered yes to these questions, there is a pretty good chance that you’ve seen a movie or two that prominently features gambling. There are tons of excellent movies and shows that delve into this subject matter. Below, you will find a breakdown of the top movies and shows that are gambling oriented.
Casino
In 1995, Martin Scorsese directed the epic crime drama Casino. The movie undeniably has one of the best casts of all time. The cast is truly spectacular. It is hard to lose with Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Plus, Martin Scorsese is pretty amazing in his own right. The film follows Sam Rothstein. This gambling handicapper rises up the ranks and eventually oversees the operations of a casino in Las Vegas. Even better is the fact that the film is based on a true story.
The Sam Rothstein character is based on Frank Rosenthal, who was responsible for running several casinos for the Chicago Outfit in the 1970s and 1980s. The movie did a great job of portraying everyday casinos with extreme legitimacy. And, it showed how some people were able to swindle the casinos and win real money. You can easily find more info about that online.
21
21 was another excellent film, which delved into gambling. This American drama was released to the public in 2008. The film features an abundance of popular actresses and actors, including Kate Bosworth, the now-disgraced Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, and Laurence Fishburne. It might not have hit a homerun with film critics, but the film still did a great job of telling the true story of MIT’s blackjack team. The film was based on the best-selling book, Bringing Down the House, which was written by Ben Mezrich.
Despite the criticism from critics, the film did great at the box office in the United States and Canada. The movie details the scheme put together by an MIT professor to rid the blackjack tables at the local casinos. The movie is definitely a little cheesy here and there, but it still does a great job showing the shady dealings of the notorious MIT Blackjack Team.
Rounders
Rounders is another excellent drama film, which plays heavily in the gambling niche. This film starts Ed Norton and Matt Damon. It was directed by John Dahl. Unlike the alternatives, Rounders doesn’t necessarily take place in a casino. Instead, the poker is placed in some of the shadiest places and losing is far more devastating for the stars. While the film only had a budget of 12 million dollars, it ended up making nearly 23 million at the box office. It received mixed reviews from critics and viewers. The film was undeniably a hit with the audiences though, since it has become a cult classic. In fact, it is likely more popular today than it was when it was released to the public in 1998.