The best casino movies let us enter a world that can feel mysterious, giving us all a chance to see how others deal with having vast sums of money as well as the promise of glitz, glamour and luxury. There are the high rollers who have access to legendary rooms in casinos, even real-life casinos, that we are now able to see for the first, and likely the only, time.
Casinos have been the focus of attention for many film directors. Whether the movie makers search out the best blackjack casinos in Las Vegas, Macau or London for location filming, or sign up to online casino sites to play anytime, anywhere, casinos offer the promise of a big win. Casino movies give us all a glance into this fantastical possibility, including these best casino movies you must watch in 2021.
No time to Die (2021)
The James Bond franchise is heading for its 25th movie with “No Time to Die,” that was postponed in March and then October 2020 for expected release on 2 April 2021. The movie, starring Daniel Craig in his final stint as the agent formerly known as 007, was directed by Cary Fukunaga who has said that the movie explores the emotionality of Bond after the tragedy of his relationship with Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale and what bringing all that baggage into the new relationship with Madeleine Swann means.
Casino Royale (2006)
If you cannot wait until April, the 2006 Bond movie Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s first jaunt of 007 also has daring stunts, thrilling chases, and cars full of gadgets. Filmed on location in London, Prague, Bahamas, Venice and Miami, the movie sees Bond tasked with stopping a banker from laundering money for terrorists, and tests Bond’s ability to know when to hold them and fold them in a high stakes poker game.
Casino (1995)
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci star in this epic crime biopic about Sam Rothstein, who was tasked with managing the operations of a Las Vegas casino. The movie, directed by Martin Scorcese, follows several high rollers in Vegas, but the focus is on how a casino functions and the role of the mafia. You might like it if your preferred movies are filled with violence, action, and the luxury of Vegas.
21 (2008)
21 is a heist drama based on the true-life events that are extraordinary. A university maths professor (Kevin Spacey) travels with the MIT Blackjack Team consisting of a group of students he has taught to count cards. Their training at the best casinos of Las Vegas allows the team to pull off the most significant card counting heist in Las Vegas, gaining an upper hand against the casinos.
Croupier (1998)
This mystery thriller stars Clive Owen as Jack Manfred, an aspiring writer who to make ends meet, takes a job as a croupier. Jack knows that everything in life is a gamble and that gamblers are born to lose. Yet he gets sucked into the world of the casino which takes its toll on his relationships. This is a British film that is tough and intelligent, so well-researched it will probably tell you more about how casinos work than a documentary.
