Wild Card
2015 · Directed by Simon West
Original language: English
- thriller
- crime
- action
The story
When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play… and it's all or nothing.
What it’s like
Hard-edged desert neon and hotel-casino interiors wash the screen in saturated reds, golds and cold blues, with the city's glitter often seen through rain-streaked glass or from low angles on crowded sidewalks. Director Simon West favours tight, kinetic framing and quick cuts during fights, while the quieter scenes sit in dim lounges and sweaty back rooms where the light turns amber and smoky. The score leans on driving synth and percussive guitar that pulses under the action and drops away to near silence during tense card-table moments. The mood is gritty, lonely and wry, a sardonic noir with a self-destructive edge and a touch of old-school Vegas swagger. Violence is frequent and physical, with brawls, shootings and bloody beatings, plus some sexual content and strong language; it is not gentle. It suits a late-night watch with the lights off, for viewers who enjoy hard-boiled crime, blunt action and a gambler's melancholy rather than anything soothing.
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