Ten very different people come together in a high stakes poker game, wherein secrets are revealed, boundaries are crossed, and lives are won and lost.
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Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
Good and evil battle it out in this ingenious feature entitled High Stakes Game. Structured around an extended poker game, characters are pitted against a scheming, devilish figure, after a sly narrator accuses the whole human race of gambling in one form or another. The film uses a succession of catchy screens with common poker terms such as Fish, Muck, and All-In that follow the steps of a gripping game which, in turn, plays out for people betting online from the dark web.
The screenplay cleverly twists and turns, as the villain (also a gambling term) lures his victims into his game and sets them up, one by one. The actor playing this villain is notably adept at delivering a sly, convincing performance. He knows all about his victims and is able to expose their vulnerabilities, which keeps them gambling at the table.
The gloomy, seedy pool hall bar is the perfect environment for this den of iniquity of sorts, as is the casino-like, jazzy soundtrack under much of the action. Another clever convention in the narrative is the introduction of a wide range of quirky characters that personify God and motivates the soft-hearted, timid preacher to action. The battle between good and evil plays out with existential discussions of belief and faith. It is quite satisfying to see the villain allow characters to use their free will to make sacrifices for those they love, while others receive justice and find their way out of the chaos to freedom.
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