The advanced technology and online world have created a new option for people that are looking to make their free time more entertaining. During the weekend, people usually take their laptops and google for a good movie that can impress them. On the other hand, people that are chasing fun with more sense of adrenaline would create an account on an online casino and test their luck with games like roulette, poker, baccarat, etc. But what if you can make a “cocktail” that is made of these two things?
Movies based on gambling are pretty popular among certain groups of people. If you are not a big fan of movies, then you are probably not even aware of how many options you actually have. To find more answers and hear some recommendations, I suggest you check the list below. I have included all the factors that are relevant to an average person that loves gambling and is looking for a movie that will keep his attention until the very end. Let’s find some options together!
Wake in Fright
This movie is pretty old, and it was released in 1971. However, just because it is old, that doesn’t mean the movie can’t keep the attention of a modern gambler. For some people, this is actually the best gambling movie in cinematographic history.
The main character of this movie is Gary Bond. Believe it or not, he is actually a successful and beloved teacher that works in an Australian school. He lives and works in a small town where the majority of people are big fans of beer.
The bad surroundings and environment negatively impacted the professor’s Bond way of life and mentality. Apart from drinking habits, he got addicted to gambling. I won’t say what exactly happens and how his gambling journey ends up. However, something that we can say is that things are going from worse to even worse. I strongly recommend you check this movie!
The Gambler
The name of this movie does not tell the whole story. While it certainly explains the movie is based on gambling, it does not relieve some important facts. Before everything, it is worth mentioning that the creator of this movie is James Toback. The younger generations probably do not know a lot about his life. He had many scandals in public and the easiest way to describe his behavior is “problematic”.
This movie is actually describing his gambling addiction. It describes how passionate about sports betting he was. However, the movie itself does not focus only on that. Through the screenplay, James Toback tried to explain that he was a self-destructive person. Gambling addiction was just an outcome of his dissatisfaction with life and the lack of emotions that he needed so much. He explains that, when he started gambling, he was just going deeper and deeper.
Croupier
Another movie with an interesting title that deserves to be on this list is Croupier. The movie was released in 1998 and the main character is Clive Owen. I’m sure that most youngsters haven’t heard about him. He truly didn’t have an appropriate movie appearance in the last 20 years. But Croupier certainly was one of the best deals he made in his career!
In this movie, Clive Owen is Jack, a successful novelist that has one big problem. He is investing a lot of effort to find a way to make easy and quick money. However, criminal activities didn’t attract him that much. So, he decided to start a gambling journey and try to make himself rich that way!
As stated above, many people claim this was the best role ever Clive Owen has had. He shows precisely how anxious, depressing, and sad the life of an average gambler is. After watching this movie, you will never allow yourself to become addicted to gambling! More precisely, you will start understanding why gambling should be an entertainment activity and not a way of making money.
The Card Counter
Neither of the previous three movies is recorded in the 21st century. Because of that, it would be unfair not to mention at least one movie that was recorded recently. Currently, The Card Counter was released in 2021. The main character is Oscar Isaac. He is a professional gambler who dedicated his entire life to this activity. It was some sort of a full-time job for him because he was going from one casino to another for the entire day.
However, he was not doing that to become rich at all. Gambling was a way to forget about his past as well as everyday problems and bring some entertainment and fun to his life. People often start to do self-destructive things to forget about the pain. Instead of doing bad things, it would be much better to ask for help instead of visiting casinos, drinking alcohol, or doing a bunch of other things.
Conclusion
There are multiple reasons why we recommend these four movies. Logically, the main one is an interesting and entertaining storyline full of different emotions. Apart from that, these movies are educational as they precisely describe the life, behavior, and feelings of each person addicted to gambling. Roulette, poker, and other games should be a source of fun and nothing more. If you earn money – be happy! If not, don’t be sad. You made your free time more exciting, and you achieved your goal. That is the only way to avoid all the problems the main characters from these movies were struggling with.