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Poker Face

Poker Face

Everyone has a limit.

202294 minPG-13Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Director
Russell Crowe
Starring
Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, RZA, Brooke Satchwell

A yearly high-stakes poker game between childhood friends turns into chaos when the tech billionaire host unveils an elaborate scheme to seek revenge for the ways they've betrayed him over the years. But as his plans unfold, a group of thieves hatch plans of their own breaking into the mansion thinking it is empty. The old friends quickly band together and the years of playing the game help them win their way through a night of terror.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Poker Face?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Poker Face on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Poker Face?

Poker Face earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Heavy for a PG-13-rated film.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Poker Face worth watching?

Poker Face's Midcredits score is the 14th percentile of all films, from 33K ratings across 6 sources. 23% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

14th percentile

Better received than 14% of films

25th percentile among Action15th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)20th
Approval (how many liked it)12th

51 /100

20th percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Action23rd percentile among 2020s

Critics 43 · Audience 52

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

23% liked it

12th percentile of all films

22nd percentile among Action14th percentile among 2020s
23% rated it 7–1077% rated it 1–6

Critics 9% · Audience 35%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

94th percentile

33K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 41% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$23M
Worldwide gross$2.6M

Returned 0.1× its budget — 44th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a slow, muddled drama about a wealthy dying man reuniting childhood friends that fails as a poker or thriller movie.

Fans praised

  • Crowe's brooding, sensitive performance
  • beautiful Australian scenery, architecture and cinematography
  • thoughtful meditation on mortality, friendship and redemption

Detractors panned

  • disjointed, overstuffed script
  • miscast actors (Hemsworth too young, RZA token)
  • boring slow start with no poker substance

What stands out

Cinematography75

beautiful Australian landscapes, stylish production design

AtmosphereDivisive60

lush mansion and art collection create a glossy but hollow setting

ActingDivisive55

Crowe solid but strained by triple duty; supporting cast stiff or over-the-top

CharactersDivisive30

shallow, unlikable, underdeveloped; no one to root for

TensionDivisive30

no suspense; heist subplot feels tacked-on and unthrilling

Plot and storyDivisive28

convoluted, multiple abandoned subplots, incoherent

PacingDivisive25

very slow first half; second half slightly better but still uneven

DialogueDivisive25

clunky, pretentious voice-over, cringeworthy lines

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Poker Face like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something dark and affecting.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film takes its material seriously, with brooding atmosphere and melodramatic flourishes, though it is often described as pretentious.
The rideThe film builds tension slowly with brooding melancholy before shifting to a tense home invasion in the latter half.
StructureThe story uses flashbacks to reveal the history of betrayals between the friends.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

Bittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe ending provides closure but leaves a melancholic aftertaste given Jake's health situation and the betrayals.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA tech billionaire stages a poker game to exact revenge on his childhood friends, but a home invasion by art thieves forces them to unite for survival.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfMortalitySurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Mortality · 2% of filmsRevenge · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeJake Foley, facing a terminal diagnosis, uses a poker game to settle old scores with friends who betrayed him, while a robbery upends the evening.
StanceThe film examines Jake's confrontation with death and his desire for revenge, questioning whether his actions are justified.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Antony Partos, Matteo Zingales
SettingA billionaire's mansion in Australia.

Content guide

Is Poker Face okay for kids?

PG-13

Poker Face is rated PG-13. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (42/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at severe (84/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (51/100) and frightening material at moderate (42/100). Overall it is heavier than 91% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • South Korea15
  • Denmark15
  • GreeceK12
  • Israel12
  • Netherlands12
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeNC16 (edited)
  • SK15
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 59% of all filmsHeavier than 91% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 44%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 33%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 99%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 92%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 46%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Poker Face have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Poker Face?

Cast

Russell Crowe
as Jake Foley
Liam Hemsworth
as Michael Nankervis
RZA
as Andrew Johnson
Brooke Satchwell
as Nicole Foley
Aden Young
as Alex Harris
Steve Bastoni
as Paul Muccino
Daniel MacPherson
as Sam McIntyre
Elsa Pataky
as Penelope
Jack Thompson
as Shaman Bill (Paje)
Jacqueline McKenzie
as Doctor

Crew

Directed by

Russell Crowe

Written by

Russell CroweStephen M. Coates

Cinematography

Aaron McLisky

Edited by

Scott Gray

Music by

Antony PartosMatteo Zingales

Produced by

Carol Anne Watts, Jordan Wagner, G.E. Morgan, Brian Beckmann, Adrian Kidd, Conor McAdam
+42 more, Kanesh Mohana Sundaram, Jay Douglas, Ying Ye, Matt Cohen, Jason Clark, Jeanette Volturno, Steven Matusko, Keith Rodger, Angelica Nunez, Gary Hamilton, Walter Josten, Patrick Josten, Elizabeth Zavoyskiy, Patrick Scott Morris, Josh Pomeranz, Adam Sigal, Matt Williams, Brett Thornquest, David Nagelberg, Ryan Basford, Vinod Mohana Sundaram, Drew Bailey, Mary Doumith, Mikael Borglund, Mark B. David, Nelson Khoury, Ryan Hamilton, Ben Smith, Laura Grange, Court Coursey, Julia Stuart, Jomon Thomas, Seth Needle, Addam Bramich, W. Peter Iliff, Padraic McKinley, Nick Farnell, Megan Wynn, Kelly Hamilton, Nym Kim, Andrew Kotliar, Romilda De Luca

More like this

What are movies like Poker Face?

Movies like Poker Face include Long Weekend (2008), Gold (2022) and Romper Stomper (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, several are revenge thrillers, and several are films set in Australia and New Zealand.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 12 share its praise for cinematography. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Poker Face?

445 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: thief. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.