William Tell just wants to play cards. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk. But keeping Cirk on the straight-and-narrow proves impossible, dragging Tell back into the darkness of his past.
Directed by Paul Schrader
casino
gambling
motel
iraq
military prison
flashback
revenge
murder
atlantic city
torture
poker game
biting
interrogation
cynical
guilt
gambler
ex soldier
character study
haunted by the past
meditative
detached
aggressive
hopeless
grim
somber
reflective
incarceration
dreary
introspective
panama city
provocative
absurd
violence
critical
tense
bitter
admiring
adoring
ambiguous
antagonistic
approving
audacious
cruel
foreboding
Rank
#153 in 2021·#5511 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.3 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Oscar Isaac
William Tell
Tiffany Haddish
La Linda
Tye Sheridan
Cirk
Willem Dafoe
Gordo
Alexander Babara
Mr. USA
Bobby C. King
Slippery Joe
Ekaterina Baker
Sara
Bryan Truong
Minnesota
Dylan Flashner
Sergeant Hoskins
Adrienne Lau
Crystal
Joel Michaely
Ronnie
Rachel Michiko Whitney
Nancy
Crew
Paul Schrader
Director
Paul Schrader
Writer
Robert Levon Been
Original Music Composer
Alexander Dynan
Director of Photography
Joel Michaely
Executive Producer
Stanley Preschutti
Executive Producer
Jason Rose
Executive Producer
Kyle Stroud
Executive Producer
Braxton Pope
Producer
William Olsson
Executive Producer
Martin Scorsese
Executive Producer
David M. Wulf
Producer
Popular Reviews
515 reviews
armeen
7.0★ · 04/19/26
expected more card counting (also very excited to see oscar issac in Beef season 2)
expected more card counting (also very excited to see oscar issac in Beef season 2)
issa
7.0★ · 03/04/26
are you more of a slippery joe or a religious ronnie
are you more of a slippery joe or a religious ronnie
Diego
6.0★ · 02/10/26
no he entendido como se juega al poker pero buena historia.
no he entendido como se juega al poker pero buena historia.
Paul Willeke
5.0★ · 08/08/25
I don’t know what this wanted to be, but what ever it was, it wasn’t for me.
I don’t know what this wanted to be, but what ever it was, it wasn’t for me.
Jackson
5.0★ · 07/14/25
Wanted it to be good. It was not. I don’t blame Oscar Isaac
Wanted it to be good. It was not. I don’t blame Oscar Isaac