# Hard Eight (1997)

> A taciturn gambler mentors a desperate young man into casino success, only for romance and criminal debts to threaten their fragile bond.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/3931

## Facts

- Runtime: 102 min
- Genres: Drama, Crime
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Cast: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, F. William Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nathanael Cooper, Wynn White
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119256/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Mood: restrained, brooding, sardonic, late night viewing, neo-noir double feature

## Synopsis

A gripping tale of survival and ambition in the high-stakes world of gambling.

## Movies like Hard Eight

- [Criminal (2004)](https://ember.film/movie/8358)
- [The Gambler (2014)](https://ember.film/movie/170344)
- [The Cooler (2003)](https://ember.film/movie/5801)
- [Rounders (1998)](https://ember.film/movie/5328)
- [Mississippi Grind (2015)](https://ember.film/movie/191459)
- [Two for the Money (2005)](https://ember.film/movie/5041)
- [Owning Mahowny (2003)](https://ember.film/movie/9188)
- [City of Ghosts (2002)](https://ember.film/movie/20024)
- [Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)](https://ember.film/movie/3898)
- [3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)](https://ember.film/movie/6936)

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