Netflix has an avalanche of content, and it’s often hard to know what to watch. Even if you found something you like and put it in your queue, it could leave the streamer before you watched it.
With each month, the streamer loses a handful of movies, and there’s one in particular you should watch before it exits in a couple of weeks. That movie, Molly’s Game, isn’t exactly obscure — it received a healthy reception from critics when it was released on Christmas Day, 2017, and it was a moderate success at the box office.
But it’s not talked about enough all these years later, and it still needs to be seen by more people. So what makes Molly’s Game worth watching? Read on and find out.
What Is ‘Molly’s Game’ About?
Molly’s Game is based on a real person, Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), who was a professional skier before an injury at an Olympic qualifying event prematurely ended her career. Adrift, she moves to Los Angeles and works for Dean (Jeremy Strong), an unsuccessful real estate developer who runs a profitable underground poker operation. Molly quickly becomes an expert at helping run Dean’s illegal side hustle, and when the players begin to like her a little too much, Dean gets jealous and fires her.
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Undeterred, Molly starts her own poker game business and soon attracts famous and infamous figures like Player X (Michael Cera), a Hollywood movie star, and the Russian and Italian mafia. Soon, she’s more successful than Dean, but with it comes close contact with criminal figures, an addiction to drugs that spirals out of control and the attention of the FBI.
Molly likes playing games with high stakes, but has she finally drawn a bad hand that will cause her to lose it all?
Who’s in ‘Molly’s Game’?
Chastain stars as Molly, and it’s the best role she’s ever had. Her Molly has to be a lot of things: a daughter still trying to please her father, an athlete still ruminating about the demise of her career, an intelligent woman navigating her way through the testosterone-heavy world of underground gambling and a woman who is capable of wanting to study the law and later breaking it without hesitation.
It’s a complex character, but Chastain never makes her a cipher. Molly’s journey is incredible, and if it weren’t based on a true story, it would be unbelievable. Chastain helps keep Molly grounded and gives the film the authenticity it needs to succeed.
Molly’s Game isn’t just about Molly, though. Backing Chastain up is Idris Elba as her sympathetic lawyer, an excellent Kevin Costner as Molly’s intimidating but loving father, and a fun and funny Cera as Player X. Joe Keery and Chris O’ Dowd also pop up, and contribute to Molly’s colorful — and sometimes dangerous — world of high-stakes poker.
Why Is ‘Molly’s Game’ Worth Watching?
Molly’s Game is a different kind of thriller because instead of Molly being in danger from one person, her worst enemy is often herself. She just can’t quite quit her newfound profession as a gambling hostess, and watching her sink deeper and deeper into a criminal lifestyle is fascinating (and painful) to watch.
It’s also interesting to see just how Molly sets up her poker games, who she attracts to make them events that can’t be missed and how deftly she navigates players from all types of backgrounds. To make these games profitable and appealing, she has to charm regular Joes looking for a thrill, wealthy men who don’t mind losing thousands of dollars playing a bad hand, celebrities eager to see a seedier side of life and criminals looking to launder their money or worse. That Chastain’s Molly is successful at managing all of these people, and for so long, is impressive; that the real Molly Bloom actually did it and almost got away with it is downright astonishing.
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Molly’s Game isn’t just about poker, though. It’s also a courtroom drama (that’s where Elba’s lawyer comes into play), a biopic about life after a sporting career and, perhaps most importantly, a surprisingly touching father-daughter story. Molly’s motivations all stem from her complicated relationship with her father, who isn’t just your typical stern authority figure. He wants the best for his daughter and thinks being tough on her is the best thing for her. Chastain’s scenes with Costner, especially near the end, are the movie’s best and give it some much-needed emotional depth.
When Is ‘Molly’s Game’ Leaving Netflix?
Molly’s Game is leaving Netflix on March 31, so there’s still some time to watch it before it departs. It’s the rare thriller that has some dramatic heft to it, and it’s entertaining as hell. Don’t miss it.
Molly’s Game is streaming on Netflix.
