There is some light chatter regarding a possible sequel, and for my money it can’t come soon enough. However, it’s also because of the movie’s place in history, right on the cusp of – and some would say even responsible for – the amateur poker boom of the early 2000s. This is due in part to the fact that it’s just a great film, built around outstanding performances by Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and John Malkovich. If this discussion were purely about poker movies, Rounders would have to be in the top slot. It says a lot that 17 years after this film’s release, the spinoff Ocean’s 8 even beat a Star Wars movie and a Marvel flick at the box office – not to mention every previous “Ocean’s” movie! This film’s vaguely romanticized depiction of Sin City is just intoxicating, and the ensemble cast led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt jelled in an unforgettable, sensationally effective manner.
It is however the quintessential modern Vegas film, and in a way it concerns the biggest gamble of all: knocking over a casino. Ocean’s 11 may not explicitly be a movie about poker players or casino enthusiasts playing games. But this is one look at how they stack up.
Ranking the best of them is difficult because there are more out there than you may realize.
