Best Films about gambling that you must see

The internet is flooded with all types of movies, ranging from romance to science fiction and anime. One can become confused about what to watch during their precious leisure time. Just selecting any movie randomly is not a good option as it is highly frustrating to spend an extended time and not get any value from it. 
For a book lover, watching the movie version of their favourite reads can be highly amusing. However, that is not always the case as the film experience can sometimes also fail to meet the high expectations of the book fans, and making them disappointed. 

Harry Potter is the best example of a hugely successful book series that also became very popular among audiences when it was adapted to films. Its final installment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II earned a huge $1.34 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film adaptations of books. While its first movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone also made over a billion dollars at the box office after it was first released in November 2001.  

1- The Hustler (1961)
If you want to watch a gambling movie, then you cannot find a better one than The Hustler, the 1961 American drama film about the lift of a small-time pool hustler. The protagonist is shown as an expert gambler, who goes on to challenge the legendary pool player Minnesota Fats. 

The Robert Rossen directed film features Paul Newman in the lead role while Jackie Gleason has played the character of Minnesota Fats. The movie came out in September 1961 and gained great popularity among the people. It also received good critical reception, with the commentators lavishing praise on the acting of Newman and Gleason. The 1961 American drama film also bagged two Academy Awards in two categories (Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography). 

2- Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Eleven is one of the best movies about gambling. It is directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in the main roles. The American heist comedy film hit the screens in 2001 and became a success at the box office, making $450 million worldwide. While it also received generally positive reviews from the critics.

3- The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
The Cincinnati Kid is a good fit. The movie follows the life of Eric Stone (who is nicknamed as The Kid) who is famous for being a very good poker player. However, he is keen to increase his reputation and wants to be recognized as the best in the game. And that’s how he ends up challenging the very best player Lancey Howard (who is nicknamed as The Man). 

The Cincinnati Kid is the film adaptation of the 1963 novel of the same name. It stars Steve McQueen as Stone while Edward G. Robinson has played the role of Howard.  

4- Rain Man (1988)
Rain Man first hit the screens in 1988 and became a big success at the box office. It is directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow. The film hit the screens in December 1988 and achieved big success at the box office, raking in an incredible $354 million and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1988 in the US. 

The lead character of Charlie Babbitt has been played by the famous actor Tom Cruise. The protagonist of the film is a selfish man who comes to know that his late father has left all his riches to his other son Raymond. 
Rain Man was greatly praised by critics after its release. The commentators waxed lyrical about the acting, direction and screenplay of the film. The Barry Levinson directed film also won eight Academy Awards nominations and went on to win in the categories for Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.  

5- Casino (1995)
Casino first hit the screens in November 1995 and became a big financial success. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and is based on the book of Nicholas Pileggi named Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. 

In the movie, the protagonist is shown to be a gambling expert who manages the daily operations at a big casino. However, things become a little challenging for the main character when the Mafia gets involved with the casino. 
Robert De Niro, the two Academy Awards winner, has portrayed the main character while Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone have played the supporting parts. The Martin Scorsese directed movie became a big success at the box office, making a huge $116 million after it was released in November 1995. 
Casino also won over the critics who praised the direction of Scorsese and the performance of Sharone Stone. 

6- 21 (2008)
If you want a highly entertaining movie about gambling, then 21 is the best one for you. It follows the life of a gifted student named Ben who manages to get into the prestigious Harvard Medical School but his financial situation is such that he cannot afford to pay the tuition. Therefore, he tries to land the Robinson Scholarship that covers all the costs but faces tough competition from the other students. His financial situation dramatically improves after he joins the blackjack team of an MIT professor, who are all experts at using card counting to win huge amounts of money in casinos. 

Robert Luketic is the director of 21, and it stars Jim Sturges and Kevin Spacey in the two main roles. The film is based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team who actually landed a great amount (all this has been told in Ben Mezrich’s book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Million). 

21 was first released in March 2008 and did incredibly well at the box office. It was made on a budget of $35 million but went on to gross $160m at the box office ultimately. 
If you want to do something fun and enjoyable this weekend, then 21 could be the right movie for you. However, with the Premier League season set to start in a few days, there are other avenues for fun and entertainment. And so, it would be understandable if many choose to see their favourite Premier League top goal scorers in action at the weekend.

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