21

"They proved the Vegas Blackjack System was beatable...by beating the hell out of it."

2008 2h 3m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 5,169

DramaCrime

Synopsis

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Ben Campbell is a young, highly intelligent student at M.I.T. who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 tuition as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor to a small but secretive club of five students, Jill, Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa to count cards at blackjack.

“They proved the Vegas Blackjack System was beatable...by beating the hell out of it.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Jim Sturgess
Ben Campbell
Kevin Spacey
Micky Rosa
Kate Bosworth
Jill Taylor
Aaron Yoo
Choi
Liza Lapira
Kianna
Jacob Pitts
Fisher
Laurence Fishburne
Cole Williams
Jack McGee
Terry

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Luketic
Writers: Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb, Mick Reinman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.6× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Luketic, shot by Russell Carpenter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Sardy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Elliot Graham shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They proved the Vegas Blackjack System was beatable...by beating the hell out of it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Luketic directs. Russell Carpenter behind the camera. David Sardy scores. Elliot Graham cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 4.6× over at the box office.
2Released 18 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Robert Luketic, shot by Russell Carpenter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by David Sardy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Elliot Graham shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They proved the Vegas Blackjack System was beatable...by beating the hell out of it.".
9IMDB entry: tt0478087 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "friendship", "card game", "casino", "gambling".
11Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Carpenter
Original score: David Sardy
Editing: Elliot Graham
Production design: Missy Stewart
Costume design: Luca Mosca
Makeup / hair: Tania McComas
VFX supervisor: Gray Marshall
Sound: Scott Wolf
Stunt coordinator: Freddie Hice
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $35,000,000
Box office: $159,808,370
Return: 457% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: 21 (2008)

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Robert Luketic

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Community reviews

What people are saying

The Movie Mob2022-09-10
★ 7/10
21 intrigues with a fascinating true story, fast pace, and fun characters. 21 entertains with its fast-paced story based on the real-life account of the MIT Blackjack Team, who tried their hand at counting cards in Vegas and won big. While 21 is not groundbreaking in its storytelling or execution, it's a fun and enjoyable film with a good twist and likable characters. This film sets itself apart from a typical heist movie in that card counting is not technically illegal. The characters weren't trying to escape police but casino enforcers with brass knuckles and examples to make. This relatively unknown cast surprised with its solid performances boosted by the film's great pacing and exciting story.

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