Matt Damon plays Mike McDermott, a law student and gifted poker player who loses his bankroll at a high-stakes game run by Teddy “KGB.” Edward Norton plays Lester “Worm” Murphy, his old friend, a hustler and cheat who owes money to the wrong people. The film asks one question: can a man who knows the game inside out beat a system built to take everything from him?
The answer is yes, mostly. The problem is that the film spends too long getting there.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
The Debt That Starts It All
Mike loses his $30,000 bankroll in a single hand at Teddy KGB’s game. He promises his girlfriend Jo he will quit poker. Then Worm comes out of prison owing money to Grama, a dangerous pimp, and Mike becomes his co-guarantor. The pair have to get back into the game to pay off a debt that grows to $25,000 with interest.
A Cheater With Friends
Worm is the film’s engine. He cheats, borrows against Mike’s credit, and hides the truth about who he works for. Mike stays honest, which means he has to cover Worm’s losses while also studying law. The tension between the two friends is the film’s core, and Norton plays Worm with a restless energy that keeps the story moving.
The Game’s Rules
The film shows Mike playing Texas hold ’em at various clubs around New York. He wins $7,200 in three days, but still needs to more than double that in 48 hours. The stakes are high, the pressure is constant, and the film leans on close-ups of cards and hands to build suspense.
A Cast Worth Watching
John Malkovich plays Teddy KGB with a controlled menace. Famke Janssen plays Petra, a dealer who warns Mike about Worm. Gretchen Mol plays Jo, and her scenes with Damon carry real feeling. Martin Landau plays Abe Petrovsky, and John Turturro plays Joey Knish. The supporting cast grounds the story in a world of con men and hustlers.
Where It Falls Short
The film’s middle section drags. It spends too much time on small debts and side conversations when the central story is already built around a $25,000 payoff. The pace slows, and the tension dips.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Central friendship | Norton and Damon have real chemistry | Middle section drags |
| High-stakes poker | Tension builds through close-ups | Some scenes feel like filler |
| Supporting cast | Strong across the board | Story loses focus |
A Cult Following
The film did not become a hit on release. It earned $22.9 million against a $12 million budget. But the poker boom of the early 2000s gave it a second life, and it found an audience drawn to its world of high-stakes games and dishonest friends.
The film is not perfect, but it is engaging. Norton’s performance carries the middle stretch, and the final push toward the payoff lands with real force. It is a solid crime drama with a strong cast and a clear sense of place, even when the pacing falters.
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