Danny A. Abeckser and David Arquette; partners in crime; possibly the modern-day Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. If you like crime, drama, action, and sprinkles of comedy, this film is right up your alley.
Danny A. Abeckaser and David Arquette come back together to create, dare I say, another mob movie. However, unlike Mob Cops or Mob Town, instead of taking the side against the mob, they dip their toes into the dark side themselves, running an illegal, underground casino.
Freshly out of prison, Charlie (David Arquette) gets an interesting (and dangerous) inquiry from his old friend Felix (Danny A. Abeckser). The two men risk everything they must open an illegal, underground casino. Business begins to boom, and the underground establishment begins to catch the eyes of many. Caught up in the power of the business, Charlie begins to fall for their newest hire, Sonia (Daniella Pick Tarantino), a very smart and deliberate woman with a dangerous past. Just when everything seems to be going great, the Russian Mafia notices the success of this underground business and wants a piece of the pie. Tension rises, and the entirety of the business is at stake. Will their dream prevail, or will they play the deadly game, where every bet could be there last?
David Arquette is not a stranger to mob films. Unlike his prior roles as cop or FBI agent, he shines a new light here, being the face of the underground casino. Like Arquette, Danny A. Abseckaser is not a stranger to mob films either, especially directing mob films. They both know a thing or two about this genre that’s for sure.
Daniella Pick Tarantino, however, steps out of her comfort zone a bit here, putting her foot forward into her own acting career. She plays the love interest for Charlie in the film and does a very convincing job too. In opposition to her only other role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood you are challenged with her character. Do we trust her, or do we not?
Along with that, Danny A. Abeckser proposes to us with a similar question throughout the film, who do we trust? The group we sympathize with are right alongside the “bad guys” in the film. Funnily enough, that is the point. The film takes time with Charlie and Felix as we watch them grow their business from the ground up (even though it is illegal). You go through the motions of growing this business alongside Charlie and Felix so when they are threatened, you are threatened as well.
If you’re all about the imagery of a film, don’t worry. Yes, the film is low budget, but the set designers used the budget in an efficient way to bring the underground casino to life. Is it as glamorous as the major casinos in Vegas with fountains and multiple floors? No, but that isn’t the point. It is an underground illegal business and that is exactly what it looks like.
Don’t be mistaken. The trope of bad vs. bad is very common, but that’s because it’s good. Who doesn’t love a little danger, and that is exactly what Abeckser gives us in The Perfect Gamble.
The Perfect Gamble releases in select theaters, on digital and demand on November 14th, 2025.
