Runner Runner Movie Review Gambling Clichés & Ben Affleck

Runner Runner movie tells the amazing story of the young but extremely clever student Richie Furst who almost lost his freedom thanks to the backstabbing actions of his new partner Ivan Block. Ivan is a multi-millionaire who owns one of the first online casino platforms, washing away the money of many American citizens into offshore accounts in Costa Rica. At first, Richie was finally where he wanted to be, making big money for one of the biggest on the market, but later on, everything changed when he realised that its all a dirty financial scheme. Ivan was trying to be the big fish in the pond, but we all know how them piranhas get…

Introduction – Justin Timberlake as The Poor Student with Big Dreams

The role of Richie Furst is played by Justin Timberlake, he is a young and motivated student at Princeton University. There is a background story at the beginning of the movie how Richie gets caught up in the world of online casino and gambling. He supposed to have a brilliant and lucrative career on Wall Street but he got played out which led him to the gridlock of funding his master`s degree by promoting and playing in online casinos. After the dean of the university told him that next time when he is caught promoting online casino around the campus he will be expelled.

Richie falls in a situation in which he got not enough money to pay his education, he owns only $17,000+ dedicated for his education but not enough to graduate. One night he decides that he is willing to risk those 17k and enters into the biggest and most popular online casino. Of course, he lost the full amount which led him to a dead-end, no-money=no education. Observing and analysing the attitude of the other players he spontaneously spotted an unusually successful player. His investigation led him to the conclusion that the platform has a security gap and someone is cheating.

Instead of going to the police, Justin Timberlake in the role of Richie Furst contemplates a ridiculous plan to go in Costa Rika where the online casino is based and find the owner of it – Ivan Block. Richie spends his last resorts to get there but that appears to be the easy part of his plan, the hardest one is to get the change to speak with Mr Block. One thing is clear Richie is quite resourceful, clever and communicative, which helps him meet the 3rd main character in the movie or Mr Blocks partner Rebecca Shafran, a role played by Gemma Arterton. She gives him the pass to enter the gala party of the casino the same night, where Richie made his bold move and approached Mr Blocks telling him about the malfunction on his platform. Of course, he was asked to leave the place with his ridiculous accusations. Richie went back in his low budget hotel wondering what he will do from now on especially since he got no money, no education and no place to go.

Ben Affleck & The Dark Side of Online Casinos

On the next morning he heard someone knocking on his door – 2 big gorillas waiting for him, it was obvious that Ivan was sending them. They dropped him at the nearest harbour where he met once again Ivan Block on his yacht called “The House”. It appeared that Ivan was already familiar with the background story of Richie and because he showed him a security gap in his own system, he was willing to offer him the future Richie always craved for – fast cars, money and gambling. As a sign of gratitude, Ivan accommodated him in the best hotel around and promised him 7 digits salary in less than 1 years if Richie agrees to assist him with the business – online casinos.

Of course, Richie was more than happy to take the deal and live his dreamed life as a millionaire. Undoubtedly Ivan made a great move by inviting Richie to the plot, but he also underestimated his moral and sense of good. Everything was going great at the beginning until Richie realised he is really into Rebecca who is Ivan`s ex. A new task was assigned to him, to meet and close the deal with a new UK affiliate that can bring up to 500,000 new players in their casino. Unfortunately, he was not feeling like accepting the deal because of the shady rumours about Ivan`s business. The only thing that Ivan said to Richie was that he needs to close the deal no matter what. This is where the game got dirty, Richie invited his pray on a boat trip with several beautiful girls and you can imagine what exactly happened, right? There was a video camera hidden in the bedroom which helped Richie blackmail his prospect and sign up the deal forcibly.

This was the moment when Richie earned the trust and respect of his new boss. Meanwhile, Mr Block was blackmailed by the Costa Rican gambling minister who was asking for half a million in cash instead of the current $300,000 monthly payment for his protection. Of course, Ivan didnt take this well and after seeing Rebecca with Richie he decided to test the boy’s loyalty and willingness to get the job done. On the next pay date, he sent Richie to deliver the money, but still $300,000. Richie was not aware of their miscommunication and he was thinking that he must only drop the money and go, but after the minister realised that the money is less than expected, they took a good beating of him.

Meantime, FBI was trying to scare Richie and his friends that he successfully pulled from the USA to help him in his new endeavour. None of them felt endangered at this point because they all thought that everything it’s all legal. The problem then was that the internet was not that regulated and many kids in the USA under 18 years were freely playing on such platforms, while all those monies were going into offshore accounts across the globe. Shortly after the beating Richie and one of his friends found out that the whole casino platform is a Ponzi type financial scheme. Or explained with other words, all players accounts were empty while all their funds are at use of Ivan Block. Literally, he uses the money of his players without them knowing. Spontaneously his friend disappeared, meanwhile Richie was chased and crossed by the FBI agents which have no jurisdiction in foreign countries like Costa Rika. Richie himself tried to leave the country but the feds planted a package of cocaine in his luggage in order to extort him to assist them building a case with concrete evidence that Ivan Block is behind the whole scheme.

Friends Or Foes?

Before disappearing his friend hid a flash drive with proof of the malicious acts of Ivan. Richie was able to get his hands on the drive and when he opened, he realized that he is not a major figure but instead his name appears to be everywhere in every Costa Rican document of Ivan`s business. That was the moment when he understood that his purpose from the very beginning was to take the blame for Ivan after the scheme blows off. Meanwhile, his relations with Rebecca are also under question because he is not yet sure of her role and honesty at this point. After meeting her secretly she confessed that she knew about Ivan`s plan from the very beginning but right now she is willing to betray him because she loves Richie. After setting a complicated plan to expose Ivan, Richie and Rebecca split to organise their next move. At this point, the co-operation with the FBI was needed obvious because Richie was in big international trouble that could cost him a long sentence behind bars.

Yes, but the things never go the way you planned it, we all know that. Ivan called Richie to set up a meeting in which he showed him “kindly” how he saved Richie`s father and paid all his debts, because like father like son, he is a lost gambler all his life. This was the moment Richie realized that he will need extra protection and help to put all the pieces of his plan in order. Meanwhile, to show power and ruthlessness Ivan brought Richie and the previously mentioned gambling minister into an abandoned river lodge where crocodiles own the waters. The minister was tight up and pushed into the river while the guys around were counting seconds to see how fast the crocodiles will approach their dinner. It was an obvious message that death is coming to Richie if he decides to switch sides.

This experience shocked Richie but he also realised that “the enemies of his enemies are his friend”. A few days later he went directly to the minister’s house to seek new partners in crime, also such which hate deeply Mr Block. With a bit of a negotiation and several hundred dollars, they agreed to help him and cut off Ivan.

Bad Guys Always Lose

And now to the final act and the closure of the story, where Justin Timberlake outsmarts Ben Affleck in his own game. But what was the plan? Richie was aware that Ivan is planning to leave Costa Rica and jump to Antigua where he can continue his dirty business without any obstacles but still, he was unable to act before he takes his father out of Ivan`s hands. With his savings, he bribed “El Capitan” or Ivan`s plane pilot.

Richie was working in several directions, to save his friends and his father, outplay Ivan in his own game and win the girl of his dreams. On the next day, the police raided all of Ivan`s places and properties, meanwhile, Richie hired a plane to take his father and him out of the country.

Richie was now ready to play his last hand and put Ivan Block behind bars, but how? When Ivan and Rebecca were stepping on their plane he called Richie to tell him that soon he will be arrested, and he will take the blame for all financial crimes they did. But at that time Richie was not in the office at all he was on another plane with his father.

When Ivan`s plane landed the first person that he saw was Richie. This is the moment when Richie finally placed his hand on the table and explained his brilliantly contemplated plan to outsmart him and put him in prison. The surprise for Ivan was that he is not in Antigua, Richie bribed El Capitan to deliver him on American soil so he can take responsibility for all crimes that he did.

When the feds and the local police arrived at the airport they intended to detain all participants in the financial scheme but while they were fussing all around Ivan Block, Richie sneaked out with Rebecca on the plane and flew off without giving the chance to the feds to take him too. And this is how the story ends, the bad guy in prison, the good guy took the money and the girl!

Final Verdict

In our Runner Runner movie review, we wanted to show you one fictional story about casinos and the shady business they were years ago. The truth is the nowadays to execute such fraud it’s almost impossible because for the last 15 years security across the web has been improved significantly in order to prevent exactly such malicious attempts. Land-based casinos are falling slowly off charts each year while online casinos are getting better and better after security is no longer an issue many people prefer to gamble from home. If you are interested to learn more about the options that the web provide you should visit our homepage.