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21

Play trailer Poster for 21 PG-13 2008 2h 2m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
36% Tomatometer 168 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a brilliant student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, needs some quick cash to pay his tuition bills. He joins a group of students who, under the leadership of unorthodox professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), use their math skills to win big in Las Vegas. Seduced by a beautiful teammate (Kate Bosworth) and loads of money, Ben learns that the stakes are higher than he ever imagined when he crosses paths with casino enforcer Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
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21

21

What to Know

Critics Consensus

21 could have been a fascinating study had it not supplanted the true story on which it is based with mundane melodrama.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor Oct 18, 2008
C
If only director Robert Luketic and screenwriters Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb had not opted for glitz. As filmmakers, they're playing for very low stakes. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Oct 18, 2008
2/5
As ever with gambling films, it's difficult to convey the thrill of winning at second hand; the human-interest complications are unconvincing and Spacey himself, I'm afraid, is a lugubrious and deadening presence. Go to Full Review Jim Schembri The Age (Australia) Jun 7, 2008
3/5
A breezy, fast-moving romp that trades well on its appeal as a glitzy caper movie about high-end scam artists without losing sight of its simmering greed-is-not-so-good theme. Go to Full Review Luis Miguel Cruz Cine Premiere Jul 21, 2021
3/5
Well made. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review José Ignacio Cuenca Cinemanía (Spain) Nov 6, 2020
3/5
An entertaining film that... as simple as it is passionate. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 24, 2020
2.0/4.0
Kate Bosworth, who's made three films with Spacey now, seems to fare the worst here. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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James T @RT93778140 Sep 22, 2026 A film of two sides. It is both entertaining and complete rubbish. Kevin Spacey delivers quite possibly the worst acting performance of all time, wooden and unconvincing. Poor pacing and screenplay, which ruins quite a fun plot. See more J T @Jason123 Jul 18, 2026 This is one of my favorite films of all time, of course I'm a geek (I've met and worked with MIT engineers throughout my career) but able to hang in their with the best of partiers and have a good time :) - so I could defintely relate to the story. I don't get the poor critic reviews, some of them don't even make sense. The cast is excellent, Spacey is in fine form, Sturgess puts in a superb performance and the settings from MIT to Vegas really add to the film. The pacing is excellent with allot of twists - a very enjoyable to movie for young people and adults. See more Mr R @TheMovieGuy2005 Feb 21, 2026 I think 21 is awesome See more Lucile F @lucile_fl Feb 17, 2026 Really entertaining film. The cast and acting is amazing. It isn’t something that hasn’t been done before, it is pretty classic in terms of plot - the thrill of making money getting to your head, losing and regaining friends, the high school story happy ending - but it is well made, with good pace and filming. One cannot have complaints about the delivery of the story. -0.5 stars for what feels like an unfinished part of the story with Micky, we would have liked to find out more about his background and how he got into the card counting business. See more J K @RT15754895 Sep 18, 2025 Great movie, not a complex concept but they fleshed it out. Good cast, no real complaints. I feel like this is the normal Kevin Spacey type role of being the guy in power. Would watch again just not anytime soon. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Sep 4, 2025 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Read all reviews
21

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Luketic

Director

Jim Sturgess

Ben Campbell

Kevin Spacey

Micky Rosa

Kate Bosworth

Jill Taylor

Aaron Yoo

Choi

Liza Lapira

Kianna

Movie Clips

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21

21: Official Clip - How to Count Cards 21: Official Clip - How to Count Cards 2:39 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Escape from Las Vegas 21: Official Clip - Escape from Las Vegas 2:21 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Beaten by the Pit Boss 21: Official Clip - Beaten by the Pit Boss 3:36 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Illegal Gambling 21: Official Clip - Illegal Gambling 2:48 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Secret Blackjack Club 21: Official Clip - Secret Blackjack Club 3:58 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Counting Cards 21: Official Clip - Counting Cards 3:05 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - I Want Micky 21: Official Clip - I Want Micky 2:20 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner 21: Official Clip - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner 1:53 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Drunken Fight 21: Official Clip - Drunken Fight 2:57 Now Playing 21: Official Clip - Double-Con 21: Official Clip - Double-Con 3:05 Now Playing View more videos

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21

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Movie Info

Synopsis Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a brilliant student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, needs some quick cash to pay his tuition bills. He joins a group of students who, under the leadership of unorthodox professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), use their math skills to win big in Las Vegas. Seduced by a beautiful teammate (Kate Bosworth) and loads of money, Ben learns that the stakes are higher than he ever imagined when he crosses paths with casino enforcer Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
Director
Robert Luketic
Producer
Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, Michael De Luca
Screenwriter
Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Trigger Street Productions, Michael De Luca
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Partial Nudity|Some Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 28, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$81.2M
Runtime
2h 2m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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