Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- austere
- paranoid
- late night viewing
- serious film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a highly controlled, haunting crime drama elevated by Oscar Isaac's gripping performance and its meditation on moral responsibility.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
William Tell wraps motel rooms in cloth and maintains an austere, repetitive existence across the casino circuit.
Tell's past military prison experience and the Abu Ghraib torture scandal drive his guilt and confrontation with responsibility.
Tell uses card counting, journaling, and strict self-control to contain his past while trying to guide Cirk away from revenge.
Cirk's plan against a retired military major draws William back into the unresolved violence of their shared past.
Films like The Card Counter, and why
First Reformed
brooding crime drama centered on guilt, alienation, ritualized routine, and a solitary protagonist seeking redemption
Taxi Driver
morally troubled male protagonist, institutional wrongdoing, religiously inflected guilt, and controlled neo-noir atmosphere
You Were Never Really Here
crime thriller shaped by revenge, psychological damage, and a tightly controlled descent into violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Schrader
- Release Date
- 2021-09-03
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1131)
Cast
- Oscar Isaac
- Tiffany Haddish
- Tye Sheridan
- Willem Dafoe
- Alexander Babara
- Bobby C. King
- Ekaterina Baker
- Bryan Truong
- Dylan Flashner
- Adrienne Lau
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, USA Network, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Card Counter about?
- A disciplined gambler escorts a vengeance-driven young man across America, hoping to transform shared military guilt into redemption before revenge reclaims them.
- What is The Card Counter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Card Counter as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Card Counter violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Card Counter as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Card Counter?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a highly controlled, haunting crime drama elevated by Oscar Isaac's gripping performance and its meditation on moral responsibility.
- Which films are like The Card Counter?
- Films with a similar feel include First Reformed, Taxi Driver, and You Were Never Really Here.
- How long is The Card Counter?
- The Card Counter runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Card Counter?
- In United States, The Card Counter streams on Peacock Premium, USA Network, Peacock Premium Plus.
