Even though not everyone loves gambling, everyone loves movies about gambling. They’re usually very exciting risky and give you the same excitement with no risk involved. There are a lot of great movies about casinos and gambling, but we’ve combined a list of top 5 movies you can watch right now either on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Rounders (1998)
Rounders is often hailed as the quintessential poker movie and it’s not surprising considering the star-studded cast of the movie. Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Gretchen Moi. The movie follows the two friends (Damon and Norton) who are looking for a big win to pay off their large debt. If you’re wondering about the name of the movie, the term rounder describes a person traveling around from city to city seeking high-stakes card games. We follow McDermott, Damon’s character as he trying to manage school, a relationship and his love for gambling. We watch him as he tried to earn his stake for the World Series of Poker. The movie initially got mixed reviews but after the poker-crazy in the 2000s, it quickly became a cult classic. You can stream Rounders on Netflix.
Oscar and Lucinda (1997)
20th Century Fox)
Based on the award-winning novel by Peter Carey, one of the exciting Australian films about gambling was directed by Gillian Armstrong. The movies start world-famous actors and actresses like Cate Blanchett, Ralph Fiennes, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. The movie depicts the story of Lucinda, a wealthy heiress whose parents died when she was really young. As a child, Lucinda was given a Prince Rupert’s Drop, which then leads her into developing an obsession with glass. With the inherited money she decides to buy a glass factory, later getting into gambling through her accountant.
Oscar, who was a child of abuse, is of the Anglican faith. He is first introduced to gambling during his studies and end up becoming massively successful at it. He uses this money to fund his studies and gives the rest of the money to the poor. The two meet on the boat where Oscar tries to convince Lucinda that gambling is not a sin. Oscar and Lucinda then proceed to play cards together right after and end up forming a bond. You can watch this Australian classic on Amazon Prime.
Casino (1995)
This next one is also a cult classic. An epic crime film was directed by the legendary Martin Scorses and stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci. This movie is based on a nonfiction book called Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas written by Nicholas Pileggi, who worked with Scorses on the script for the movie. The movie follows De Niro’s character, Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a gambling expert who is called to oversee the day-to-day casino in Las Vegas. We also got to know Stone’s character, who is a streetwise chip hustler. Together they confront the difficulties of “Ace”s new job, The threats from the Mafia and the deteriorating relationships as Las Vegas changes over the years. The movie is available on Amazon Prime.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
This particular classic is a little different from the other movies we’ve mentioned so far. Based on the classic in its own right, Hunter S. Thompson’s novel of the same title, the movie stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. The film details the journey of the dynamic duo through Las Vegas, as they slowly abandon their initial journalistic intentions and dive deep into exploring the city under the influence of psychoactive substances. The movie is available on Amazon Prime.
Ocean’s 11 (2001)
We’re going to end our list with one of the most popular heist movies of all time. This movie managed to gather Hollywood’s most sought after stars to create a movie that is enjoyed by every group alike. The movie then went on to develop into the franchise that has been popular ever since. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, and Julia Roberts are all part of this movie. The story follows George Clooney’s character as he tried to assemble the group to commit one of the greatest heists of all time. The movie is available on Netflix.
