21

2008
PG-13
2h 3m

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

270K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,310

Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Jim Sturgess, and Aaron Yoo in 21 (2008)

Play trailer2:34

24 Videos

99+ Photos

True Crime Crime Drama Thriller

Inspired by real events and people, 21 is about six MIT students who become trained to be experts in card counting in Black Jack and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.Inspired by real events and people, 21 is about six MIT students who become trained to be experts in card counting in Black Jack and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.Inspired by real events and people, 21 is about six MIT students who become trained to be experts in card counting in Black Jack and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

270K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,310

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations

Trivia
Although set in the then-present day, i.e. 2007/8, the film is based on teams active between 1979 and 1994. And at one point, more than 80 players were on the original MIT team.

Goofs
Why didn't Ben keep his winnings in a safe deposit box? He can add more whenever he wants and it would be safe from everybody, particularly Micky.

Quotes
[Cole Williams confronts Micky for the first time again]
Ben Campbell: [narrating, when we see Micky tied up in the basement of the casino] I had a 1590 on my SAT. I got a 44 on my MCATs. And I have a 4.0 GPA from MIT. I thought I had my life mapped out. But then I remembered what my Nonlinear Equations professor once told me, always account for variable change.
Cole Williams: [Cole Williams walks out of the shadows] Hello, Micky.
Micky Rosa: Look, I got money in Boston. A hundred grand. I'll give it to you. If you just let me walk away. I'll walk away.
Cole Williams: I don't want your money, Micky. I don't need it. But I know someone who might be interested. He's good with numbers, too. He works for the IRS.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Horton Hears a Who!/Never Back Down/10,000 B.C./Funny Games/Paranoid Park/Conspiracy (2008)

Soundtracks
Time to Pretend
Written by Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser
Performed by MGMT
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User reviews348

Review

Featured review

7/10

Interesting take on a unique genre

21 (2008) tells the true based story of a shy yet educated college student in need of a large sums of cash, within the heavy intent of becoming an amateur cards player. Also starring Kevin Spacey as he features as the dissolute professor who recruits the brightest minds at MIT to count cards for guaranteed profit. Only human error can break the winning streak.

21 stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell. The film happens quickly and precise as the important moments of the film are present in a quiet manner. Ben immediately stands out in a class taught by statistician Mickey Rosa (Spacey), but when Mickey offers him the chance to win untold riches in the game of blackjack, Campbell declines on principle. It's only time will tell when fellow classmate Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) and the steeply-rising price of college education, that Ben gets on board with the crew. 21 is seemingly interesting and entertaining but there appears to be several small flaws or parts that are rushed or not executed well. Altogether this film is quality for a one time watch.