Casino themes are nothing new in film, with 1915’s silent movie The Cheat as the first movie to have a gambling theme. And according to Casinocrawlers, most casino aficionados are around their mid-30s, making the nostalgia of anything from the 2000s more impactful. Here are three casino-themed movies that you can enjoy for both the undeniable 2000s feel and the casino elements found in these films.
The Hangover
Directed by Golden Globe-acclaimed Todd Phillips, this 2009 comedy flick follows Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zack Galifianakis as they look for their missing bachelor friend, played by Justin Bartha. After a wild bachelor’s party in Sin City, our protagonists wake up with no recollection of last night’s events. They slowly have to backtrack the previous night’s events to figure out what happened and bring Doug to his wedding on time.
At the movie’s climax, they have to get $80k worth of poker chips to get back their friend. Alan uses his knowledge of card counting to win more than $80k at the casino’s Blackjack table. And while this “Doug” was a different person, they were able to locate their friend and get him in the venue for the wedding, albeit a bit more tan.
The movie gained nearly $500 million in box office sales and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2009. Aside from being the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in the US, a record previously held by Beverly Hills Cop, it also won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture. Its popularity brought two sequels, The Hangover Part II in 2011 and The Hangover Part III two years later.
Ocean’s Eleven
Released in 2001, Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of the 1960’s film of the same name. This star-studded heist comedy movie has some of the biggest names in the industry at that time, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts.
The plot follows the story of newly released from prison Danny Ocean as he plans a $160 million heist from the casinos owned by Tony Benedict, his ex-wife’s new lover. After getting former casino owner Reuben Tishkoff on board as a financer, Ocean and partner-in-crime Rusty Ryan start recruiting eight former criminals to enact the heist. From con-men and auto specialists to a pickpocket and acrobat, the eponymous ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ gets assembled and the plan slowly comes to fruition.
While the heist on the original film that starred five of the Rat Pack ended in a bust, the 2001 remake team ends up victorious and splitting the money among themselves.
Same as the movie’s ending, this iteration of Ocean’s Eleven stole the hearts and cash of moviegoers worldwide. It racked up more than $450 million on an $85 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film in 2001. It also resulted in two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve in 2004 and Ocean’s Thirteen in 2008. There was also an all-female spinoff in 2018 titled Ocean’s 8, with Sandra Bullock at the helm.
Casino Royale
Casino Royale is the 2006 reboot of the James Bond movie franchise by director Martin Campbell. This is the third film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel of the same title, with English-American actor Daniel Craig donning the mantle of agent 007 for the first time.
The movie starts with Bond gaining his 00 agent status and his first mission as 007. It features a couple of poker games as part of the movie, with the first one against a Greek official where he won an Aston Martin DB5 along with his wife. This leads to the agent disrupting the plans of Albanian private banker Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen, and causing his million-dollar investment to go to waste.
The second involves Bond joining a Texas hold ’em tournament in Montenegro that the banker intends to use to recover the lost funds. While Bond initially lost his $10 million buy-in at the eponymous Casino Royale, he was funded by a CIA agent for $5 million in exchange for Le Chriffe going to US custody upon capture.
Casino Royale was released to critical and box-office acclaim, with box-office sales grossing over $600 million worldwide and ending as the fourth top-grossing film in 2006. Its success opened the door for two sequels with Craig at the helm, 2008’s Quantum of Solace and 2012’s Skyfall.
Check, Raise, or Fold?
The early 2000s had some amazing casino movies, with many of them getting a couple of sequels under their belts and commanding a strong following in ticket sales. They’re guaranteed great watches, whether you’re into casino games like poker, a fan of high-octane action, or a lover of comedy.
