A glossy, vicious, and hugely entertaining mob epic that turns Las Vegas into a machine for greed, vanity, and self-destruction. It’s long and familiar in some Scorsese rhythms, but the performances, pace, and sheer scale make it a standout crime drama.
Casino
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Crime · Drama
Wed · 2h 59m
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci
Overview
In Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Cast
Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, vicious, and hugely entertaining mob epic that turns Las Vegas into a machine for greed, vanity, and self-destruction. It’s long and familiar in some Scorsese rhythms, but the performances, pace, and sheer scale make it a standout crime drama.
Best for
fans of sprawling crime sagas
viewers who like operatic violence and betrayal
people drawn to 1990s prestige filmmaking
audiences interested in the dark side of wealth and power
Skip if
you want a tight, lean gangster film
you dislike graphic violence and cruelty
you prefer subtle, low-key character studies
you’re tired of mob-movie mythology
Overview
Casino is a feverish portrait of greed dressed up as glamour. Scorsese uses the casino floor like a battlefield, where every smile, scheme, and favor is part of a larger con. The result is less a simple crime story than a study of systems: money, loyalty, marriage, and power all collapsing under their own excess.
Worth noting
The film’s pleasures are obvious and durable: De Niro’s controlled precision, Sharon Stone’s volatile magnetism, and Joe Pesci’s terrifying volatility. It’s a movie of unforgettable surfaces, from the pastel suits to the neon haze, but it keeps revealing the rot underneath. Even when it feels familiar, it’s executed with such confidence that the familiarity becomes part of the point.
Bottom line
What lingers most is the sadness beneath the swagger. The friendships are transactional, the romance is poisoned, and the whole empire is built on panic. Casino is one of the great American decline stories, and one of the most purely watchable ones.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Timcop (4.5★) · 11940 likes
All things considered, these guys were kind of okay dads.
Nick (4★) · 8207 likes
As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a casino
marcella (4.5★) · 7314 likes
the most relatable scene from this movie is the one where de niro is PISSED OFF because his blueberry muffin barely had blueberries
Muriel (5★) · 4913 likes
robert de niro walking around smoking in colorful suits, sharon stone being a queen and joe pesci screaming and attacking people is very telling of what i love about cinema
maria (4★) · 4780 likes
joe pesci is a funny guy
Themes
organized crime, greed, betrayal, power struggles, Las Vegas, corruption, marriage and infidelity, male friendship