The Gambler
Seen it?1974 | 112 min | Drama, Crime
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (82% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved Once Upon a Time in America or Casino, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 52 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect drug use.
- Made in 1974: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
New York City English professor Axel Freed outwardly seems like an upstanding citizen. But privately Freed is in the clutches of a severe gambling addiction that threatens to destroy him.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 65 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 64K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Karel Reisz
- James CaanAxel
- Paul SorvinoHips
- Lauren HuttonBillie
- Morris CarnovskyA. R. Lowenthal
- Jacqueline BrookesNaomi
- Burt YoungCarmine
- Carmine CaridiJimmy
- Carl W. CrudupSpencer
- Stuart MargolinCowboy
- Vic TaybackOne