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The Card Counter

100 Movies of 2021

The Card Counter

2021

Paul Schrader

Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish, Willem Dafoe ...

6.1

8,283

Drama William Tell is an ex-military interrogator living under the radar as a low-stakes gambler. Tell’s meticulous life is thrown into disarray when he encounters Cirk, a young man looking to commit revenge against a mutual enemy. With backing from mysterious financier La Linda, Tell takes Cirk on the casino circuit to set him on a new path. However, he finds that the ghosts of the past will not release him so easily.

	Author	Review
United States	Glenn Kenny rogerebert.com	"It swerves back into a variation on Bresson that constitutes one of the most brilliant shots of [Schrader's] career (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Rodrigo Perez The Playlist	"It’s truly a wild, blazing ride if you get on the movie’s bruising, mesmeric wavelength, a tragic but deeply moral film"	POS
United States	Matt Goldberg Collider	"It’s certainly not the most uplifting movie of the year (...) but it shows Schrader once again captivating his audience through tough ideas, tougher morality, and a lead actor giving one of the best performances of the year"	POS
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"A highly controlled piece of filmmaking with an unerring command of tone (...) Isaac is such a remarkably compelling force"	POS
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"Schrader moves into this genre with consummate ease and skill. A great poker sequence makes you feel like you’re seated at the table (...) and 'The Card Counter' gives you that sensation"	POS
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"Don't be intimidated, just let the film's moral challenges into your head and heart. You won't need a degree in cinema to figure out that Schrader is a world-class filmmaker whose work is as playful as it is profound"	POS
United Kingdom	Lee Marshall Screendaily	"[It] spends much of its running time deliberately opting to be as dramatically locked down as its central character (...) As a gambling film, Schrader’s latest will disappoint connoisseurs of the genre"	NEU
United Kingdom	Xan Brooks The Guardian	"The cast keeps it honest and there is much to relish in the film’s moody, meditative intensity. At its best, 'The Card Counter' is wonderfully retro (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"The numb camera movements and the whiskey drone of Robert Levon Been’s original soundtrack leave you with a palpable understanding of how someone could get stuck in these places until the end of time."	POS
United States	Todd McCarthy Deadline	"There are moments in this deliberately paced drama when there simply isn’t enough going on to sustain interest (...) However, very near the end (...) the drama rises to a new, exalted level"	NEU
United States	Chris Evangelista SlashFilm	"[Isaac] brings a disarmingly handsome intensity to the role here. We can't take our damn eyes off him (...) To watch him work here is something special"	POS
Canada	Brandon Zachary CBR	"The script is so keenly focused on the ways we confront our past and how we can try to affect our futures (...) that it remains interesting and engaging throughout its runtime"	POS
United States	Chuck Bowen Slant	"He may be an elder statesman by now, with his legend cemented, but Schrader is still an admirably risky and furious artist (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
Canada	Mel Valentin Screen Anarchy	"An expansive, provocative existential drama (...) William [is] an indelible, unforgettable character in Schrader's pantheon of troubled outcasts, outsiders, and pariahs"	POS
United States	Carlos Aguilar The Wrap	"Schrader finds new grace notes along the way (...) 'The Card Counter' doesn't come across as urgent or magnetic as other efforts. Perhaps this represents a shift for him into storytelling with a slightly more uplifting energy"	NEU
United Kingdom	Al Horner Empire	"An ace in the hole from a filmmaker himself unafraid to gamble. [Its] pacing won't be for everyone, but Schrader fans will be all-in on this gripping portrait of lament (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Hanna Flint Time Out	"Oscar Isaac's brooding charisma struggles to elevate Paul Schrader's tedious noir (...) 'The Card Counter' is a slowburn bluff with little new to offer (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
United States	John Serba Decider	"'The Card Counter' doesn't offer much resembling traditional dramatic resolution, and if you're expecting otherwise, then you haven't seen a movie by Schrader"	POS
United States	Louie Fecou Ready Steady Cut	"Small stakes with a big payoff (...) Paul Shrader delivers a tight and involving screenplay that deals you in, then sets you up for a final bluff (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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