Everyone loves a good movie with a casino or gambling theme, not just those who enjoy gambling online. We caught up with top UK online casino guide iGamblingSites.com to see which gambling themed movies they recommend watching.
Perhaps you have your own favourites, or maybe you haven’t had the chance to watch some of the ones they recommend – most movies are now streaming on Netflix, HBO, or Amazon Prime, if that’s the case. Let’s recap the best gambling/casino-themed films of all time in our top list:
Casino (1995 – Director: Martin Scorsese)
The iconic ‘Casino’ film by legendary director Martin Scorsese is at the top of our list. Casino, which premiered in 1995, portrays a tale of greed, deception, money, power, and murder occurring between two best friends. One a mafia enforcer and the other – a casino executive. Casino has a stellar line-up of stars, including Sharon Stone, Robert Deniro, Joe Pesci, and James Woods.
While there’s not much action at the casino tables – there are no edgy poker hands, no pool hustling, no odds-fixing or true love story, it’s still widely considered one of the best Vegas movies of all times; it nicely captures old school Las Vegas, fast living and fast-loving action in the fifties and sixties.
Casino Royale (2005 – Director: Martin Campbell)
James Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale, Montenegro. After earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his secret mission. In this Bond film, the hero is played by the talented Daniel Craig, who’s on a mission to catch Le Chiffre, played by the equally gifted Mads Mikkelsen.
A lot of the action is filmed within the casino, where the high stakes poker game comes to a head with a close call for Bond. It’s considered one of the best Bond movies in years; it’s well worth watching if you haven’t had the chance to see it yet. The main stars of Casino Royale include Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench and Mads Mikkelsen.
The Hangover (Director: Todd Phillips)
Three friends wake up from a raucous bachelor party in Las Vegas with no memory of the previous night and no sign of the Batchelor himself. The severely hungover friends make their way around the city to find their friend before his wedding, uncovering the previous night’s disastrous events as they go along. So popular was the first instalment that another two movies were launched in quick succession. Top stars include Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Ed Helms.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001 – Director: Steven Soderbergh)
Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring an all-studded cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Robert, is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack version. Danny Ocean is fresh out of jail and raring to pull a daring heist.
The plan is to hit the vault containing the take from three of the biggest casinos in Vegas – belonging to the guy dating his ex-wife. So popular was Ocean’s Eleven when it came out; it generated two more sequels in the next five years: Oceans 12 and Oceans 13 (each of which was also directed by Steven Soderbergh).
Molly’s Game (2017 – Director: Aaron Sorkin)
Molly’s Game is a 2017 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut) and based on the 2014 memoir of Molly Bloom which relays the true story of her exclusive underground poker club for wealthy high rollers. Molly’s Game stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Joe Keery and Brian D’Arcy James.
This movie stands out from the others on our list because the lead character is a female in the male-dominated gambling business. Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Bloom is as talented as they come. Idris Elba is also brilliant in the support role, whilst cameo appearances from Chris O’Dowd and Joe Keery add a welcome touch of humour into the mix.
Top Gambling Movies Conclusion
So there you have it – our top 5 gambling themed movies of all time. We’ve tried to keep the list diverse from new and older titles, but some of the most-watched movies of all times are on the list – they’re classics and shouldn’t be missed!
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