Rounders

Rounders

Trust everyone... But always cut the cards.

Directed by John Dahl

Produced by Miramax, Spanky Pictures

1998121 min7.0 / 10

A stylish neo-noir about addiction and loyalty set in the high-stakes poker underworld, where friendship and debt collide with the seductive pull of the game.

Poker addict Mike McDermott knows the game inside out, but loses his money one night in a game to Russian-American gangster Teddy KGB. Promising his partner Jo he'll give up, he meets up with best friend Lester 'Worm' Murphy, just out of prison and owing lots of money to the wrong kind of people. McDermott becomes his co-guarantor and now there's only one way to raise the money, the pair have to get back into the game.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Rounders scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Is Rounders sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Does Rounders end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Rounders violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Rounders easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

59/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity55

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise53

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love70

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Rounders, and what each one shares →

Like Rounders

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Rounders

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Rounders, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Rounders, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Rounders, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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