Many moviemakers have used gambling scenes to boost the entertainment value of their movies but most of those movies are comedies or thrillers such as Casino Royale, The Hangover, and What Happens in Vegas.
And that makes sense! Casinos are places of fun, entertainment, laughs and excitement. So we were quite surprised when searching for the best casino horror movie to find out that there are actually quite a few films with this genre combination.
A list of good examples would include Leprechaun 3 (1995), Fright Night (2011), The Haunted Casino (2007), Spirits of the Dead (1969), and Steve Niles Remains (2011). Reputable gambling site FlashCasino consider 13 Tzameti (2005) to be one of the best gambling horror movies ever.
A Classic Wrapped Up as a Horror 13 Tzameti, the debut film of Gela Babluani, the Georgian filmmaker, has all the makings of a classic. It combines gruesome elements of crime, drama, nail-biting suspense, horror, and gambling, adding to it just a sprinkling of blood and violence. Viewers have found it to be intense and disturbing, something they won’t forget in a hurry.
Rankings and Awards Let us first get some facts and figures out of the way. Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a rating of 64% on the basis of 67 reviews from viewers. All of them agree that the movie builds up tension in the most relentless way, keeping them guessing, squirming in their seats, and biting their nails all the time. It’s little wonder that the movie bagged the World Cinema Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival of 2006 along with two more awards at the Venice Film Festival, the 62nd event of its kind.
The Desperate Plight of the Poor Addressed Through the character of Sebastien, its poverty-stricken protagonist, the movie explores the plight of the poor who fall prey to dangerous and life-threatening opportunities to make a few quick bucks. Interestingly, the filmmaker's younger brother Georges made his acting debut by playing the role of Sebastien.
Desperate to overcome his poverty, Sebastien makes the mistake of stealing an envelope that contains the secret to make some quick money from his dead employer. Of course, he did not know that it was a "mistake" at that time. Also, he had no way of knowing about the dark dangers he was letting himself into. The beginning of the movie is frustratingly slow, but we encourage you to stick to it. You will soon realize that it tells a great story without cutting a deep hole into the filmmaker’s wallet.
Subtle Features in the Movie You will be amazed at how the story unfolds naturally, without any manipulation on the part of the filmmaker. The sound effects, the special effects, and the music are all low key. They do not play any role in manipulating your emotions. There isn’t even a lot of bloodshed and violence to divert your attention. Since the movie is in black and white, the little blood that it shows appears grey. Despite this, the movie succeeds in creating tension and anxiety among its viewers.
How Gambling Enters Into the Movie’s Plot And what about the impact of the movie on gamblers? The movie definitely does not glorify gambling but it doesn't condemn gambling either. Watch it at your own risk as it may drastically alter your opinions of gambling. But irrespective of your views of casinos and gambling before and after watching, you will agree that 13 Tzameti is the best casino horror movie of all time.
Earlier in this review, we mentioned that Sebastien stole an envelope belonging to his dead employer. The envelope contains a train ticket, which Sebastien uses to reach a dark destination in the depths of the jungle. When he learns that he has to participate in a life-threatening gambling event organized by ruthless criminals, it is too late to withdraw. The organizers of the game of death say that he has to participate. Needless to say, Sebastien is no longer enthusiastic about making quick money but he is trapped. If he wins, he can take home a six-figure prize. If he loses, he will be a dead man.
Will Sebastien survive? Does the movie have a happy ending? Will the gambler go home with his pockets jingling and a song on his lips? You have to watch the movie to find out. We don't want to destroy the suspense any further.
The movie is deeply disturbing as it tosses many unanswerable questions at viewers. Are casinos entertainment or exploitation? Do they entertain their customers or do they exploit their customers’ willingness to part with their hard-earned money to win the jackpot they long for—a jackpot they believe will give them a better life? You may conclude that the movie condemns the way the rich exploit the poor while simultaneously hinting at the benefits of minimalism.
Of course, the film has its defects; but its greatness overshadows its flaws especially when one considers the fact that this is Gela Babluani's first full-length movie, made on an extremely low budget. 13 Tzameti is undoubtedly an absorbing movie that brutally exposes the bitter truths of civilized society.
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Many moviemakers have used gambling scenes to boost the entertainment value of their movies but most of those movies are comedies or thrillers such as Casino Royale, The Hangover, and What Happens in Vegas.
And that makes sense! Casinos are places of fun, entertainment, laughs and excitement. So we were quite surprised when searching for the best casino horror movie to find out that there are actually quite a few films with this genre combination.
A list of good examples would include Leprechaun 3 (1995), Fright Night (2011), The Haunted Casino (2007), Spirits of the Dead (1969), and Steve Niles Remains (2011). Reputable gambling site FlashCasino consider 13 Tzameti (2005) to be one of the best gambling horror movies ever.
A Classic Wrapped Up as a Horror
13 Tzameti, the debut film of Gela Babluani, the Georgian filmmaker, has all the makings of a classic. It combines gruesome elements of crime, drama, nail-biting suspense, horror, and gambling, adding to it just a sprinkling of blood and violence. Viewers have found it to be intense and disturbing, something they won’t forget in a hurry.
Rankings and Awards
Let us first get some facts and figures out of the way. Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a rating of 64% on the basis of 67 reviews from viewers. All of them agree that the movie builds up tension in the most relentless way, keeping them guessing, squirming in their seats, and biting their nails all the time. It’s little wonder that the movie bagged the World Cinema Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival of 2006 along with two more awards at the Venice Film Festival, the 62nd event of its kind.
The Desperate Plight of the Poor Addressed
Through the character of Sebastien, its poverty-stricken protagonist, the movie explores the plight of the poor who fall prey to dangerous and life-threatening opportunities to make a few quick bucks. Interestingly, the filmmaker's younger brother Georges made his acting debut by playing the role of Sebastien.
Desperate to overcome his poverty, Sebastien makes the mistake of stealing an envelope that contains the secret to make some quick money from his dead employer. Of course, he did not know that it was a "mistake" at that time. Also, he had no way of knowing about the dark dangers he was letting himself into. The beginning of the movie is frustratingly slow, but we encourage you to stick to it. You will soon realize that it tells a great story without cutting a deep hole into the filmmaker’s wallet.
Subtle Features in the Movie
You will be amazed at how the story unfolds naturally, without any manipulation on the part of the filmmaker. The sound effects, the special effects, and the music are all low key. They do not play any role in manipulating your emotions. There isn’t even a lot of bloodshed and violence to divert your attention. Since the movie is in black and white, the little blood that it shows appears grey. Despite this, the movie succeeds in creating tension and anxiety among its viewers.
How Gambling Enters Into the Movie’s Plot
And what about the impact of the movie on gamblers? The movie definitely does not glorify gambling but it doesn't condemn gambling either. Watch it at your own risk as it may drastically alter your opinions of gambling. But irrespective of your views of casinos and gambling before and after watching, you will agree that 13 Tzameti is the best casino horror movie of all time.
Earlier in this review, we mentioned that Sebastien stole an envelope belonging to his dead employer. The envelope contains a train ticket, which Sebastien uses to reach a dark destination in the depths of the jungle. When he learns that he has to participate in a life-threatening gambling event organized by ruthless criminals, it is too late to withdraw. The organizers of the game of death say that he has to participate. Needless to say, Sebastien is no longer enthusiastic about making quick money but he is trapped. If he wins, he can take home a six-figure prize. If he loses, he will be a dead man.
Will Sebastien survive? Does the movie have a happy ending? Will the gambler go home with his pockets jingling and a song on his lips? You have to watch the movie to find out. We don't want to destroy the suspense any further.
The movie is deeply disturbing as it tosses many unanswerable questions at viewers. Are casinos entertainment or exploitation? Do they entertain their customers or do they exploit their customers’ willingness to part with their hard-earned money to win the jackpot they long for—a jackpot they believe will give them a better life? You may conclude that the movie condemns the way the rich exploit the poor while simultaneously hinting at the benefits of minimalism.
Of course, the film has its defects; but its greatness overshadows its flaws especially when one considers the fact that this is Gela Babluani's first full-length movie, made on an extremely low budget. 13 Tzameti is undoubtedly an absorbing movie that brutally exposes the bitter truths of civilized society.