You can’t beat a good casino movie. From great heists to nail-baiting games of poker, the casino has held a special place on the silver screen for decades. To celebrate this wonderful tradition, we’ve decided to count down our 5 favourite casino films of all time. We’ve got action, comedy and drama in our selection, so grab some popcorn and get comfy. Let’s start with number 5!
#5 – The Hangover
Hitting cinemas back in 2009, this comedy caper had an unlikely trio hitting Vegas for their best friend’s stag do, only to wake up with no memory of the previous night’s events and the hangover to end all hangovers. It’s currently the fifth highest grossing R-rated movie of all time and, with scenes like Mike Tyson singing along to Phil Collins, it’s easy to see why this one made it into our casino film hall of fame.
#4 – Ocean’s Eleven
Featuring a star-studded cast, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Ocean’s Eleven takes our number 4 spot. Razor sharp lines and a super tight script full of twists and turns make this heist movie a real rollercoaster from start to finish. We join Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his 10 compatriots as they plan to steal millions from 3 Vegas casinos in the same night which, it turns out, is rather difficult to do. Keep an eye out for a slew of cameo appearances including boxers Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
#3 – The Sting
Our bronze medallist is also the oldest film in our list. The Sting introduced audiences in 1973 to the long con, its title referring to the moment when the con men take a ‘mark’s’ money, without them realising they’ve been swindled. Fronted by the superstar duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, this caper classic swept the board at the Oscars in its year of release, clocking up 10 nominations and an impressive seven wins, including Best Picture. If you’re a fan of shows like Hustle, this one will definitely be for you.
#2 – Casino Royale
Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond saw England’s favourite spy going head to head with the sinister Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in one of the tensest rounds of poker imaginable. Full of gritty fights, awesome chases and possibly the greatest opening scene in a Bond film to date, it’s been a firm favourite at SFSG HQ since its release in 2006.
#1 – Casino
The casino film to end all casino films. Power, greed, money and mobsters all set to the stunning backdrop of a high-end Las Vegas Casino. This Scorsese directed favourite starred Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone and defined for many what a casino film should be. The story was taken from screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi’s novel of the same name and sees De Niro’s casino owner struggling with the trials and tribulations of being at the top. With a groovy soundtrack, expletive-laden rants and tense action set pieces a-plenty, this flick is a sure bet whenever you fancy a night in. Therefore it takes top spot in our top 5 casino films of all time!
Honourable mentions:
– Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
– Rounders
– Hard Eight
– 21
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