An ex-military interrogator turned gambler sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past. A film by Paul Schrader, starring Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, and Willem Dafoe.

In poker, the player does not play against the house. He plays against other players. The house takes a cut. Two things are necessary: knowledge of the mathematical odds, knowledge of your opponents. Poker is all about waiting. Hours pass. Days pass. Hand after hand, each hand like the hand before. Then something happens.

William “Tell” Tillich (Oscar Isaac) taught himself card counting during his ten years in prison. He never stays at the casino hotel, preferring a small motel nearby. With only a suitcase and a small bag, he settles into a room where he removes all the paintings from the walls, unplugs the telephone and clock, and then wraps everything with plain white sheets from his suitcase.

Card counting is a blackjack strategy used to determine whether the player or the dealer has an advantage on the next hand. Advantage players, known as card counters, maintain a running count of high-value and low-value cards dealt to gain an edge over the casino’s house edge. When they have an advantage, they typically wager more; when the dealer has the advantage, they wager less. Additionally, they adjust their playing decisions based on the deck’s composition.

There’s a weight a gambler can accrue by accepting financial backing. It’s like any weight a person in debt accrues. It builds and builds, has a life of its own. There also is a moral weight a man can accrue. This is the weight created by his past actions. It is a weight which can never be removed.

At Washa casino, William encounters La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), an acquaintance he played with four times before. She is aware of his card-counting skills and wants to enlist him in her stable, a group of gamblers backed by wealthy investors who share a portion of their winnings. However, William declines her offer, preferring to play independently with modest goals and avoid attracting attention.

William is attending the Global Security Convention (GSC) in Atlantic City, a seminar being held by John Gordo (Willem Dafoe). He is becoming increasingly frustrated and decides to leave after a few minutes. As he is making his way out, a young man approaches him and asks if he remembers John. The young man then hands William a piece of paper with his name and number written on it.

You’re dying to hear. The noise. The smell. Feces, urine, oil, explosives, bleach, sweat, smoke. All day, every day. Sand spiders, camel spiders, ants as big as cockroaches. The heat, the fear, the adrenaline jack, mortars. The sheer noise of it. And blood. And the only way to survive was to rise above. Rise and laugh. Surf the craziness.

As night falls, William’s sleep is haunted by a chilling nightmare, a vision of a torture camp. Unable to shake off its clutches, he decides to drive back to the casino. He dials the number on the piece of paper, requesting a meeting with the young man at the bar. The young man introduces himself as Cirk Baufort (Tye Sheridan), a young man with a story that intertwines with William’s own past. Cirk reveals his connection to Roger Baufort, a victim of the CIA’s enhanced interrogation program, trained in the brutal techniques employed at Abu Ghraib under the supervision of Major John Gordo.

In the aftermath of the scandal, Cirk’s father was dishonorably discharged, spiraling into an oxycodone addiction. The addiction fueled his abusive behavior towards Cirk and his mother, culminating in her silent departure. Left to fend for themselves, Cirk witnessed the tragic end of his father’s life, a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Meanwhile, John Gordo, the architect of their misery, thrived as a private contractor, basking in impunity. Cirk knows the military has made William the scapegoat. He recognizes William’s face from the leaked torture camp photos, the images that had unjustly imprisoned him for eight years. Consumed by a burning desire for vengeance, Cirk attempts to enlist William as an ally in his quest to bring Gordo to justice. However, William refuses to be drawn into Cirk’s vengeful plan. He cautions Cirk against the destructive path of retribution, emphasizing the futility of revenge.

Consumed by guilt over Cirk’s tragic past, William feels a profound responsibility to steer him away from the destructive path of vengeance. To this end, William proposes an alternative plan, inviting Cirk to join him on his business venture. He believes that financial stability and the prospect of a brighter future could deter Cirk from pursuing his murderous intentions. With renewed determination, William reaches out to La Linda, requesting her assistance in reconnecting with his former backers. He envisions a future where financial success allows him to alleviate Cirk’s and his mother’s debt, paving the way for Cirk to resume his education and embrace a life like that of any ordinary teenager.

Written and directed by Paul Schrader, THE CARD COUNTER is more than just a story about poker. This film takes us on a journey of redemption with Oscar Isaac’s incredible performance. But in the end, life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to be. It is a slow-burning film that examines guilt, redemption, and the consequences of violence.

The extreme wide-angle lens used to shoot the torture camp scene is a masterstroke of cinematography, effectively conveying the disorienting and oppressive atmosphere of the prison. As the camera relentlessly moves around, the view stretches and distorts, creating an unsettling feeling of claustrophobia and inescapable torment. The visual language powerfully captures the sense of a never-ending nightmare, a labyrinth of horror from which there is no escape.

The film exudes an aura of mystery, especially when everything seems calm and still. There’s an unsettling feeling lurking beneath the surface, a sense that something is amiss. The sound design plays an incredible role in amplifying this tension, subtly hinting at the brutality without explicitly showing it. This masterful approach builds towards an inevitable climax that we all anticipate, delivering a cathartic sense of satisfaction.

THE CARD COUNTER premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 2 September 2021. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 10 September, by Focus Features.