As the film continues, we see Caan’s character plunge into self-destruction and his mental state become increasingly precarious.Īs his borrowing becomes steadily worse and his need for thrills threatens to endanger his life, the film builds to a steady crescendo and brilliant climax.Ī classic gambler movie, this one came out in 1974 but even today it serves as a pretty severe warning against addiction – of any kind – and to always gamble responsibly. Whether any more of these gambling movies will be preserved by the Library of Congress remains to be seen – it’s doubtful – but in the meantime you can start crossing them off your ‘ones to watch’ list on Netflix, Prime, YouTube or wherever you get your film fix.Īptly named, The Gambler tells the story of a university professor – played by a compelling James Caan – who has an addiction to casino gambling. Only one on this list of gambling films has been inducted into the National Film Registry and just two took home awards at the Oscars – but perhaps a lack of recognition is key to a movie becoming a cult classic?
