Explore the world of blackjack in cinema! From the emotional journey in Rain Man to the card-counting brilliance of 21, dive into the films that captivate casino and movie lovers alike.
There is one niche within the movie industry, which is always very tantalizing to watch. Be it because of the illustrious background or because it may be something that you might not partake in your everyday life and therefore becomes something more lucrative, is the gambling and casino world. There have been loads of movies set on the premise of gambling or casinos that have done incredibly well. Think about the Oceans movies, all of which were based on some form of casino and heist topic. Now, there is one particular casino game that does especially well in regards to movies, which is blackjack. There’s something about the risk of getting as close to 21 as possible and either winning or losing it all that seems to really have the moviegoers on the edge of their seats.
This article aims to look at some of the most thrilling movies that heavily feature the game of blackjack, without further ado, it’s time to dive in.
Rain Man
This is a movie that features two of the best actors in the world, namely Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Dustin Hoffman plays an autistic and special-abled individual who turns out to be the brother of Tom Cruise, whom he never knew of (spoiler alert, that part only comes in a little later in the movie, so the hope is that you’ve seen this movie already). But, despite the fantastic dialogue and storyline between these two actors, it’s the game of blackjack that really joins them.
Tom Cruise, who plays the role of Charlie, is a little bit of a selfish man who finds himself in a financially tricky situation. When he realizes that his inheritance has gone to his brother, Raymond, he is at a complete loss. He tries to find Raymond and succeeds—all because he wants to see if he can win some of his inheritance back. When Charlie realizes that he won’t be able to do this, he focuses on something else, which is the fact that Raymond is excellent at counting cards and knows exactly what’s happening when it comes to a deck of them. This is where Charlie comes up with the smart idea of bringing Raymond into a casino to count cards in blackjack. Now, whilst this is not something that is encouraged either in a brick-and-mortar casino or when you play blackjack online, it does make for quite a tantalizing storyline.
21
Another famous movie that handles a lot of blackjack topics is 21. This movie features a famous mathematics professor, played by Kevin Spacey, who acts as the character of Micky Rosa. Micky’s whole plan is to try to get the smartest people out of his mathematics class to help him in the game of blackjack and counting cards. Do you see a common thread in both of these movies? There seems to be a little bit of an obsession when it comes to counting cards. You see, this is a thing about movies; they show a different side of casino gambling, which is why a lot of movie watchers enjoy these movies, as this is typically not something that would happen in real life per se. The movie 21 follows the actor Jim Sturgess, who becomes the number one card counter for his professor. You get to see how he and a few of the other students who have already been inducted into the card-counting group start to visit actual casinos. There are a lot of ups and downs in this movie and there is also quite an interesting romantic side of this movie, should this be of interest to you.
The Gambler
A movie that is quite fascinating if you’re interested in looking at the world of gambling and casinos is a movie called The Gambler. This movie features excellent actors, such as Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, and Brie Larson. Mark Wahlberg plays the character of Jim Bennett, who is a literature professor who has given up on life and actually quite enjoys the idea of destructive behavior. This destructive behavior comes in the form of gambling, as he actually has a little bit of a knack for it.
In the movie, you can see him visiting different casino houses and underground blackjack games. It shows a different side of the game, as it’s less about the fancy casinos, such as in 21 or Rainman, and rather shows the life of this individual, namely Jim Bennett. It’s also quite interesting to see how a literature professor takes to the idea of gambling and what impact this has on his life. Eventually, the gambling playing gets a little bit too much and things go awry, and he finds himself the target of some people that you do not want to be the target of, therefore, this movie has a little bit more action and is seen as more of a thriller than the other two mentioned above.
Choosing the Right Movie For You
Sometimes it can feel a little bit tricky to find just the right movie to watch on an evening at home. The best thing about the list mentioned above is that it should save you time when you’re scrolling through your streaming options. Honestly, all three of these movies are considered in some form classics. Although they might not be classics like The Godfather or Titanic, they certainly are in their own right.
If you want to go for something that has to do with blackjack but also has a sweeter storyline, then Rain Man is the one for you. If you’re interested in a little bit of comedy and romance but also want a bit of blackjack, then 21 is for you. Lastly, if you want a bit of thriller and action but also a touch of casino, then The Gambler is the right choice.
Should these movies perhaps not be of interest to you, then you can always try other casino-themed movies, like the Oceans trilogy. In Oceans 11, 12 and 13 you can see some of the most riveting actors perform their absolute best. Watching George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia all working together to create some of the best cinematography out there is a real treat. Furthermore, there are also a lot of other gambling-themed movies that you can watch such as The Card Counter, Wild Card, Casino and The Cooler, all of which are also known as some of the best casino-themed movies.
Well, there you have it. These are some of the most interesting suggestions for movies in the casino niche. Which one are you going to watch first?
