Las Vegas is a glowing city of secrets and allure that stands as the capital of adult entertainment in the United States. Naturally, the city makes for a fascinating destination for filmmakers and writers. The Las Vegas scenery, the large flashing lights, and their abundance of color always seem to enhance films in a magical way.
The films listed include drams, comedies, actions, thrillers while some span multiple genres. Both the good sides and bad sides of Las Vegas are put on display, as some characters find liberation in the gambling capital, while others are purely trapped. With how inherently exciting the city is, it's no wonder that movies set in Las Vegas can be so terrific.
Smokin' Aces (6.7)
Smokin' Aces is a dark comedy/action film that is so brutal and bloody, expect to cringe. Starring massive names such as Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck, the high-strung action film follows a fleet of hitmen as they pursue a former Las Vegas magician and crime boss gone rat.
Although this movie wa filmed in several locations, the casino scenes were all shot in the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. Smokin' Aces is a jack-of-all-trades of a movie in how it molds together savage action with witty humor and boasts a completely loaded cast.
21 (6.8)
This stylish 2008 blackjack drama stars Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess. Set in Las Vegas, a covert group of card counters tries to take Las Vegas by storm. Together as a unit, the team of players tries to cheat the big casinos until the casinos decide to fight back.
The film was released back in Sturgess's heyday, as he was just coming off of his much-noted performance in the Beatles centric musical, Across The Universe (2008). He and Kevin Spacey do a great job of finding chemistry and executing their roles to a high degree in this film.
The Cooler (6.9)
Starring William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin, this 2003 romantic drama follows a lonely man in Bernie Lootz (Macy) who works as a dealer. However, Bernie isn't just any dealer, he is the kind that cardplayers hate, as he has a knack for taking all the money from gamblers and losing very little for the casino. Baldwin plays Bernie's overbearing boss who is always nagging him to jinx customers.
Macy and Baldwin do a great job of leading a strong supporting cast. Although the film is mostly concerned with drama and Lootz's love interest, there are still some nice, humorous moments.
Swingers (7.2)
This classic '90s comedy follows the heartsick Mike (Jon Favreau) as he tries to rebound with his self-proclaimed woman charmer friend, Trent (Vince Vaughn). This duo blew up after their performances and much of their current can be attributed to their roles in Swingers.
Vaughn, obviously, has starred in and produced a multitude of films since the comedy's 1996 release. Favreau has thrived as a producer, director, and actor, and has been playing Happy Hogan in the MCU since the release of Iron Man (2008). Some of the best material in Swingers is weaved into the Las Vegas scenes, where Mike and Trent try their hand at blackjack.
Leaving Las Vegas (7.5)
Leaving Las Vegas is a romantic drama starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The 1995 film follows alcoholic TV writer Ben Sanderson as he visits Las Vegas with the plan to drink himself to death. That is until he meets a prostitute named Sera, and they develop a liking for each other.
Their relationship has the potential to grow, but Sanderson's alcoholism and Sera's line-of-work complicates things. Critics praised this film when it was released and recent IMDb users seem to still like it too.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (7.6)
Based on the classic gonzo novel by Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1998 comedy/drama starring Johnny Depp. This film certainly brought the most unique lens to the look and feel of Las Vegas out of any film on this list.
The adaptation follows journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo as they attempt to find the "American Dream" in Las Vegas while they take copious amounts of substances including cocaine, LSD, mescaline, and heroine. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is surely a hell of a ride and Depp and Benicio Del Toro turn in a very memorable experience.
The Hangover (7.7)
A modern comedy classic that shattered box office records, The Hangover was released in 2009 and led to two sequels. Although many fans voiced their distaste for The Hangover II and The Hangover III, the trilogy of comedies is probably the most successful out of any 'adult' franchise in the modern era of comedy.
Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis will always bring the trio of Phil, Stu, and Alan to comedy fans' minds. The Hangover is undoubtedly the best comedy ever filmed in Las Vegas.
Ocean's Eleven (7.7)
Starring a throng of megastars from Clooney and Pitt to Bernie Mac and Casey Affleck, Ocean's Eleven is a thrilling heist movie based on the Ocean's 11 from 1960, which starred Frank Sinatra. The entire Ocean's franchise is made up of quality movies, but audiences seem to like the 2001 film the most.
The most recent chapter, Ocean's 8 did fairly well with its release in 2018 as well. The classic Las Vegas heist film is worth several watches for sure.
Rain Man (8.0)
Rain Man tells the story of a suave, quick-thinking businessman named Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise) who is cheated out of his inheritance. He comes to find that $3 million has been left to a long lost, autistic brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). In an attempt to persuade the care facility who is holding Raymond's money, Charlie 'kidnaps' Raymond and figures out that his brother is an utter genius.
After Charlie discovers Raymond's impeccable memory, he decided to suit both of them up and hit the blackjack tables in Las Vegas. Dustin Hoffman won an Oscar for Best Actor and the film won Best Picture in 1989.
Casino (8.2)
Martin Scorsese brings the mob to Las Vegas in his 1995 masterpiece, Casino. The action/drama stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. There are too many iconic scenes in this film. Scorsese's masterful use of cinematography and music makes this one of the best in his astounding collection.
The absolute roller coaster of emotions this film puts its viewer through must be what makes Casino the highest-rated film on the list.