The Card Counter

Director: Paul Schrader, Cast: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe. R (Graphic Nudity, Brief Sexuality, Language, Some Disturbing Violence)

Redemption is the long game in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. Told with Schrader’s trademark cinematic intensity, the revenge thriller tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions, and features riveting performances from stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe. “The motif is specific, but the filmmaker deploys it to great effect: slowly drawing the audience into the psyche of a man who grows more frightening – and more compelling – the more you learn about him.” —David Sims, The Atlantic