Top 10 Gambling Movies – Mississippi Grind – 6th Place

Mississippi Grind: The Ultimate Gambling Road Trip Movie

If you love the thrill of the flop, the tension of a roulette spin , or just a great road trip story, you need to add the 2015 gem Mississippi Grind to your watchlist. Unlike the glitzy, polished portrayals often seen in Hollywood blockbuster poker movies (looking at you, Ocean’s Eleven ), this film features a very different approach. Mississippi Grind takes you on a gritty, authentic, and surprisingly soulful journey down the American South.

Directed by the talented duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Mississippi Grind feels like a throwback to the classic cinema of the 1970s. It swaps the tuxedos and martinis for bourbon and dive bars, offering a realistic look at the “grind” of the professional (and unprofessional) gambler.

The Setup: A High-Stakes Road Trip

The story follows Gerry (played by the incredible Ben Mendelsohn), a talented but down-on-his-luck real estate agent whose gambling habit has left him in deep financial trouble. His luck seems to change when he meets Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a charismatic, younger, wandering gambler who seems to float through life without a care.

Convincing himself that Curtis is his “good luck charm,” Gerry persuades his new friend to join him on a road trip down the Mississippi River. Their destination? A legendary high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. Their goal? To win back everything Gerry has lost.

What follows is a buddy movie that explores the highs of the win and the crushing lows of the loss, all set against a bluesy Southern backdrop.

Why You’ll Love It: The Winning Hand

Here are the standout features that make Mississippi Grind a unique entry in the gambling genre:

• Chemistry is Key: The dynamic between Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn is electric. Reynolds plays against his usual “action hero” type, delivering a nuanced performance as the smooth-talking Curtis, while Mendelsohn is heartbreakingly good as the desperate Gerry.
• Authentic Gambling Action: The movie respects the game. Whether they are betting on horse races, throwing dice at a craps table, or reading tells in Texas Hold’em, the gambling scenes feel tense and real. It captures the superstition and the specific lingo of the trade perfectly.
• A Retro Vibe: Shot on 35mm film, the movie has a warm, grainy texture that pays homage to 70s classics like California Split. It looks and feels different from modern digital movies.
• The Soundtrack: You can’t drive through the South without the Blues. The soundtrack features deep cuts of blues and soul that perfectly match the smoky atmosphere of the casinos and pool halls.
• Real Locations: The production didn’t use soundstages. They filmed in real locations across New Orleans, St. Louis, and Mobile, Alabama, giving viewers a genuine tour of the riverboat casinos and backroom poker joints of the Mississippi.

Behind the Scenes

Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (who later directed Captain Marvel) wanted to create a film that felt lived-in. They were heavily inspired by the “New Hollywood” era of the 1970s, where characters were allowed to be messy and flawed.

One interesting production detail is how they handled the background extras. In many of the casino scenes, they used real gamblers and local players rather than professional actors. This added to the atmosphere of the “grind” – the repetitive, hypnotic nature of sitting at a slot machine or card table for hours on end.

The Verdict

Mississippi Grind isn’t just about poker chips and money; it’s about the addiction to the feeling of winning and the friendships forged in the heat of the moment. It’s a road trip movie that feels like hanging out with two friends who are making bad decisions for all the right reasons. That’s how it earned its place among the best gambling movies. Official trailer: