Must-watch casino heist movies for thrill seekers

Heist movies have a cult following. So, if you’re new to the genre, you’ll need this list to watch some of the best casino heist movies of all time.

Movies are one of the best ways to escape the world and dive into a world of fantasy. The best thing about movies is that you can be transported into a whole new world, one that you may never experience yourself, which is why action-packed or heist movies are so popular, as these are topics that the average Joe doesn’t spend time with on a daily basis.

These heist genres have become so big that niche genres have developed within them, such as casino heist movies. Where the thrill of the casino world and slot paradise casino games, plus the excitement of a heist blend together perfectly, creating something of a phenomenon for viewers. 

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Ocean’s 11

You cannot speak of casino heist movies without bringing up the conversation of Ocean’s 11. Now, just for easy readability, Ocean’s 11 is the first of three movies, the sequences are cleverly called Ocean’s 12 and 13. And what makes this trilogy so fantastic is that each movie is excellent in its own right.

Usually, when a movie makes a second and third edition, the storyline goes down but this is not the case with the Ocean’s movies. But to understand 12 and 13, you need to have watched 11, which is why it is the focus here. 

Ocean’s 11 follows the character Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, as he goes on a quest to rob the biggest and most grand casino out there, the Bellagio. Of course, he cannot do this on his own and as he is known as quite the gambler and con artist, his friends are all professional misfits of some kind, and so he hires them to make up his team.

This is likely the funniest part of the movie, as each character is played by an exceptional actor, and they have such good chemistry that it’s wonderful to see them come on screen together. First, you see Rusty, played by Brad Pitt, Linus, played by Matt Damon, and Frank, played by the late Bernie Mack. Actors of this level coming together is a masterpiece in the making. 

Then, two very important characters come into the game, Tess and Terry, played by Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. Now, you need to know that Tess was Danny’s ex-wife, which is the main reason he’s going after the Bellgio. Why, you ask? Well, because Terry is the owner of the Bellagio and he’s dating Tessm, which is something that Danny can never forgive. As you can see, this movie is a casino and action-based adventure with a bit of emotion and quite a lot of humor, too. 

Casino Royale

The name’s Bond, James Bond and you have just stumbled upon one of the best James Bond movies out there. This is one of the newer ones, although it is still a few years old already but in this one, Daniel Craig plays Bond and you follow him as he dives into the world of casino games. 

This is a truly interesting movie as it blends the usual James Bond action parts with the inner workings of a casino. Bond movies are usually quite confusing as they have a strong storyline, so to understand what’s happening in the background, the movie is tasked with taking the watcher down quite a rabbit hole, introducing them to the world of casinos while playing a pivotal role.

The whole point of the movie is for James Bond to find a way to ensure that the winnings of a huge casino tournament are not extorted out by the villain, played by Mads Mikkelson as the character Le Chiffre. The only way that the world can be saved is if Bond can beat Le Chiffre at a game of poker in Montenegro.

Due to the nature of Bond movies, there are still loads of moments where you get to see the famous Aston Martin cars racing on your screen, stylish tuxedos that James Bond wears, beautiful female leads, in this case, played by Eva Green and the usual fight scenes that have become so expected in James Bond movies. This film truly does not skip a beat when it comes to the merging of casinos and heist movies. 

Now You See Me

Another fantastic casino heist movie that entered the stage is known as ‘Now You See Me’. The other two movies each follow the trend of a more suave and stylish direction, which is exactly what you expect from the world of casinos. However, this movie goes far more into the fantastical, creative and imagination, as a lot of it seems to be based on magic to start. No, not the type of magic you see in Harry Potter but more the act of playing cards and being able to trick the eye. 

The movie follows the recruitment of four individuals who are surprisingly skilled at tricking people, all in their own way. You get to see how they come together, how they train and how they garner international attention as the four individuals who keep trucking the people. They hold big events in which they make people disappear and the list goes on. Toward the end of the movie, you get the idea that they are building toward something much bigger.

This is where they announce that they are going to rob a casino and somehow get all the money out of that casino without anyone understanding how. Now, it would spoil the movie to tell you if this happens properly or not, so that means that you’re just going to have to watch the movie yourself and see. 

As you can see from the above, there are quite a few interesting movies that blend the world of casinos and heists. There are so many more than this list can contain so if you are interested then you should see: The Gambler, The Good Thief, Five Against the House, Casino Jack, 21 and The Cooler. These are all excellent movies that follow the same suit as the ones mentioned above.

When it comes to why this specific niche of the movie is so many, the answer seems pretty easy: it’s highly entertaining. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Now that you know some of the famous movies regarding casino heists, which movie are you going to watch first?