Runner Runner (2013)

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur.

Director:

Brad Furman

Writers:

Brian Koppelman, David Levien

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Justin Timberlake	...	Richie Furst
Ben Affleck	...	Ivan Block
Gemma Arterton	...	Rebecca Shafran
Anthony Mackie	...	Agent Shavers
Michael Esper	...	Billy 'Pet' Petricoff
Oliver Cooper	...	Andrew Cronin
Christian George	...	Wilson
Yul Vazquez	...	Delegate Herrera
John Heard	...	Harry Furst
James Molina	...	Esteban
Louis Lombardi	...	Archie
Vincent Laresca	...	Sergeant Barrancas
Bernie O. Ramos Robledo	...	Handlebar Mustache
Sam Palladio	...	Shecky
David Costabile	...	Professor Horstein

Storyline

Princeton grad student Richie, believing he's been swindled, travels to Costa Rica to confront online gambling tycoon Ivan Block. Richie is seduced by Block's promise of immense wealth, until he learns the disturbing truth about his benefactor. When the FBI tries to coerce Richie to help bring down Block, Richie faces his biggest gamble ever: attempting to outmaneuver the two forces closing in on him.

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Plot Keywords:

21th century | 2010s | university | poker | father | 

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Taglines:

Know when to walk away.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

4 October 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apuesta máxima

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,706,712, 6 October 2013, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$19,316,646

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$62,675,095

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures, Appian Way

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Weekly Gemma Arterton said on Runner Runner (2013) "It made me stop wanting to be an actor. The whole thing wasn't right for me. It wasn't the type of thing I enjoyed watching or doing. I had a moment where I thought, 'Okay, I got into this because of Michael Haneke and Lars von Trier and now I'm making action movies.' Not that I wouldn't ever do [action movies] again but I realized then that it wasn't for me and I decided to do more theater and collaborate with people."

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Goofs

When Richie Furst, is playing online poker to make his tuition there are several shots showing that he is actually playing on a Play Money Table - meaning no real money is being wagered.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Richie Furst: Everyone gambles. They may call it something else, like the stock market, or real estate. But make no mistake, if you're risking something, you're gambling. And if you're gambling, then I'm the guy you want to see.

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Connections

References 21 (2008)

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Soundtracks

Si Señor
Written by Fermín Elizondo Caballero, Raúl Chapa Elizalde, Jason Roberts
Performed by Control Machete
Courtesy of Universal Music Latino
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Ho-Hum, Ho-Hum

Greetings again from the darkness. I can sit in a theater and watch a mediocre movie, but when it comes time to write about it, there is no motivation or appeal. The most positive comment I can make is that it stars two very pretty men.

This one has "paycheck project" written all over it. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake simply go through the motions as if someone is feeding them their lines through an ear piece. Gemma Arterton should never stoop to such a mundane and lifeless role ... though her hair and make-up are terrific. Only John Heard and Anthony Mackie come across as professional actors, and their minor roles are so limited, they barely register.

Writing partners Brian Koppelman and David Levien co-wrote the excellent Rounders, but this one merely teases the dark underbelly of online gambling. It has neither the depth, plot or character development that we would expect from a movie with this premise and cast. Director Brad Furman showed promise with The Lincoln Lawyer, but this one comes across as being rushed through production with faux-style.

The closest comparison I can come up with is last year's Savages, directed by Oliver Stone ... and even that one was more enjoyable. Rather than a MPAA warning for Language, I would prefer a heads-up whenever the filmmaking team really doesn't care much for the project. At least I could spend my money and time watching a different movie.