In Dead Money, Andy (Emile Hirsch) is back at it for another night. Sitting at a poker table in Jack’s (David Keith) backroom game with the usual group of degenerates. That next big run is right around the corner, he can taste it. He just needs to read the cards right and get his head in the game. That can sometimes be tough to do with the craziness going on at Jack’s poker room, but he’ll pull it together. Luckily, he has his girlfriend, Chloe (India Eisley), tending bar and she can hopefully help keep him in the zone.
Naturally nothing can come that easy, so who could really be surprised when the evening goes off the rails. One minute Andy is starting to heat up and take down some hands, and the next he has a gun pointed at his face. Two masked robbers, Shotgun (Jackie Earle Haley) and Revolver (Rory Culkin), realize an illegal poker game is the perfect target. There is a ton of money floating around, and no one will report it missing since it’s from an illegal game. Foolproof. Or so they thought. A serious of mishaps leads to Andy at a table, playing a game for higher stakes than he could’ve ever imagined.
Luc Walpole directed Dead Money while Josh Wilcox wrote the screenplay. The film is Wilcox’s feature length debut. Walpole and Wilcox mix in some interesting elements to break up the film and keep it fresh. At several points we have Andy’s thoughts coming in to narrate what is going on or provide helpful poker tips. On top of that, the motivational National Geographic themed podcast that Andy listens to is fantastic. It adds a level of hilarity and connection to the character that the film’s brain trust knocks out of the park. Emile Hirsch is as consistent as ever and a joy to watch. The rest of the cast is full of over-the-top characters that Hirsch attempts to navigate.
The film does an admirable job of introducing you to the world of backroom poker – both ends of it. One side having the rich high rollers with deep pockets that are willing to throw money without blinking an eye. Then it also explores the dark and seedy world of the games as well. Dead Money takes on that gritty persona which helps draw you in. The main issue is the film seems like two movies spliced together. An intriguing and thoughtful poker/gambling flick and a stereotypical lower budget heist movie. While still relatively entertaining for its runtime, there is a drop off that can’t be ignored. Dead Money would’ve been better served going all in instead of eventually folding.
Dead Money is available now in theaters and digital!
