Movies Like 21 (2008)

21 is a 2008 crime, drama film from Robert Luketic with a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Stealing Harvard and Mississippi Grind.

Crime Drama

Stealing Harvard

2002

John and his girlfriend have vowed to marry once they save $30,000 for their dream house. But the minute they achieve their financial goal, John finds out his niece has been accepted at Harvard, and he's reminded of his promise to pay for her tuition (nearly $30,000). John's friend Duff convinces him to turn to petty crime to make the payment … but Duff's hare-brained schemes spin quickly out of control.

4.8

MagicScore

Mississippi Grind

2015

Gerry is a talented but down-on-his-luck gambler whose fortunes begin to change when he meets Curtis, a younger, highly charismatic poker player. The two strike up an immediate friendship and Gerry quickly persuades his new friend to accompany him on a road trip to a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi River, Gerry and Curtis manage to find themselves in just about every bar, racetrack, casino, and pool hall they can find, experiencing both incredible highs and dispiriting lows, but ultimately forging a deep and genuine bond that will stay with them long after their adventure is over.

6.0

MagicScore

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

1963

A doctor uses special eye drops to give himself x-ray vision, but the new power has disastrous consequences.

6.6

MagicScore

The Cooler

2003

Bernie works at a Las Vegas casino, where he uses his innate ability to bring about misfortune in those around him to jinx gamblers into losing. His imposing boss, Shelly Kaplow, is happy with the arrangement. But Bernie finds unexpected happiness when he begins dating attractive waitress Natalie Belisario.

6.7

MagicScore

The Driver

1978

The Driver specializes in driving getaway cars for robberies. His exceptional talent has prevented him from being caught yet. After another successful flight from the police a self-assured detective makes it his primary goal to catch the Driver. He promises pardons to a gang if they help to convict him in a set-up robbery. The Driver seeks help from The Player to mislead the detective.

7.2

MagicScore

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

2023

A rich man learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes. He sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.

7.2

MagicScore

Casino

1995

In early-1970s Las Vegas, Sam "Ace" Rothstein gets tapped by his bosses to head the Tangiers Casino. At first, he's a great success in the job, but over the years, problems with his loose-cannon enforcer Nicky Santoro, his ex-hustler wife Ginger, her con-artist ex Lester Diamond and a handful of corrupt politicians put Sam in ever-increasing danger.

8.0

MagicScore

Hard Eight

1997

A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.

6.9

MagicScore

Owning Mahowny

2003

Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession.

6.7

MagicScore

#10

The Lady Gambles

1949

When Joan Boothe accompanies husband-reporter David to Las Vegas, she begins gambling to pass the time while he is doing a story. Encouraged by the casino manager, she gets hooked on gambling, to the point where she "borrows" David's expense money to pursue her addiction. This finally breaks up their marriage, but David continues trying to help her.

5.9

MagicScore

#11

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

2007

Two college roommates have 24 hours to make the ultimate choice as they finalize arrangements for a black market abortion.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

Jocks

1986

When an odd-ball tennis team of a Los Angeles college sets out on a road trip to a regional college tennis tournament in fun-filled Las Vegas, all the stops are out and literally "anything goes" both on and off the court.

4.3

MagicScore

#13

Rounders

1998

Poker addict Mike McDermott knows the game inside out, but loses his money one night in a game to Russian-American gangster Teddy KGB. Promising his partner Jo he'll give up, he meets up with best friend Lester 'Worm' Murphy, just out of prison and owing lots of money to the wrong kind of people. McDermott becomes his co-guarantor and now there's only one way to raise the money, the pair have to get back into the game.

7.0

MagicScore

#14

My Blueberry Nights

2007

Elizabeth has just been through a particularly nasty breakup, and now she's ready to leave her friends and memories behind as she chases her dreams across the country. In order to support herself on her journey, Elizabeth picks up a series of waitress jobs along the way. As Elizabeth crosses paths with a series of lost souls whose yearnings are even greater than her own, their emotional turmoil ultimately helps her gain a greater understanding of her own problems...

6.4

MagicScore

#15

California Split

1974

Carefree single guy Charlie Waters rooms with two lovely prostitutes, Barbara Miller and Susan Peters, and lives to gamble. Along with his glum betting buddy, Bill Denny, Charlie sets out on a gambling streak in search of the ever-elusive big payday. While Charlie and Bill have some lucky moments, they also have to contend with serious setbacks that threaten to derail their hedonistic betting binge.

6.6

MagicScore

#16

Boys and Girls

2000

Ryan and Jennifer are opposites who definitely do not attract. At least that's what they always believed. When they met as twelve-year-olds, they disliked one another. When they met again as teenagers, they loathed each other. But when they meet in college, the uptight Ryan and the free-spirited Jennifer find that their differences bind them together and a rare friendship develops.

5.9

MagicScore

#17

Rain Man

1988

When car dealer Charlie Babbitt learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has a savant older brother named Raymond and that his father's $3 million fortune is being left to the mental institution in which Raymond lives. Motivated by his father's money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility in order to return with him to Los Angeles. The brothers' cross-country trip ends up changing both their lives.

7.8

MagicScore

#18

The Hangover

2009

When three friends finally come to after a raucous night of bachelor-party revelry, they find a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom. But they can't seem to locate their best friend, Doug – who's supposed to be tying the knot. Launching a frantic search for Doug, the trio perseveres through a nasty hangover to try to make it to the church on time.

7.3

MagicScore

#19

Just the Ticket

1998

Gary Starke is one of the best ticket scalpers in New York City. His girlfriend, Linda, doesn't approve of his criminal lifestyle, though, and dumps him when she gets the opportunity to study cooking in Paris. Gary realizes that he has to give up scalping if he has any chance of winning her back. But before he does, he wants to cash out on one last big score. He gets his chance when the pope announces he'll be performing Easter Mass at Yankee Stadium.

5.4

MagicScore

#20

The Good Thief

2003

An aging gambler on a losing streak attempts to rob a casino in Monte Carlo. But someone's already tipped off the cops before he even makes a move.

6.1

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like 21?

The top films similar to 21 by MovieMagicScore are Stealing Harvard (4.8), Mississippi Grind (6.0), X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (6.6). Each shares crime/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is 21 worth watching?

21 holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10 from 4,873 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is 21?

21 (2008) is a crime, drama film directed by Robert Luketic, starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth.

Where can I find more recommendations like 21?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more crime recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Stealing Harvard Movies like Mississippi Grind Movies like X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes Movies like The Cooler Movies like The Driver Movies like The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

About movies like 21

This ranked list pairs 21 (2008), a crime and drama film from Robert Luketic, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jim Sturgess take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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