It’s not just us who think blackjack is a great game. It’s even been featured in films! In fact, it’s been the central theme of a few – either by title or storyline.
Today we’re looking at a few notable examples.
21
(2008)
The most recent successful feature film to be named after the game of blackjack is 21, a crime drama about six stellar pupils from the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology who conspire to make millions from Las Vegas casinos by card counting during games of blackjack. Directed by Robert Luketic, it stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. Intriguingly, it is based on a true story.
Blackjack
(1998)
This action thriller, directed by John Woo, stars Swedish martial arts icon Dolph Lundgren as a US Marshal assigned to protect high-profile public figures. However, he is afraid of the colour white.
Croupier
(1998)
Apparently a popular year for blackjack films, 1998 also saw the release of Croupier, which follows the life of a man who becomes a blackjack dealer. Clive Owen stars.
Licence To Kill
(1989)
Made in the Timothy Dalton era of James Bond films, Licence To Kill shows the famous hero playing blackjack at a casino. Several Bond movies feature casinos – perhaps most prominently Casino Royale, which was made in 2006 starring Daniel Craig after being inspired by a satirical film in 1967.
Rain Man
(1988)
Rain Main is the touching story of Charlie (Tom Cruise), who discovers his autistic older brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and needs to drive him home across America. Raymond helps Charlie to win money at a casino by using his incredible maths skills to count blackjack cards.
Black Jack
(1950)
Julien Duvivier directed this adventure film, which features a criminal who tries to go straight after many years of using his yacht to smuggle drugs.
