MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Admit oneMovie
Poster for House of Games

House of Games

1987 · 102 min

A cool, cerebral plunge into con-artist psychology, where every line feels like a move in a game and the tension coils tighter as the heroine's fascination turns dangerous.

Tagline
Human nature is a sucker bet.
Overview
A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led by a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.
Free in the UK
  • YouTube Free
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • deception
  • obsession
  • betrayal
  • identity
  • morality
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour3
Realism7
Romance3
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity8
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like House of Games

Movie

Dial M for Murder

1954

A taut, stage-bound cat-and-mouse game where elegant conversation conceals cold calculation, keeping you leaning in to catch every clue.

Tense, dark · about deception and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details In your watch list
Dial M for MurderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Heist

2001

A crisp, talky crime caper that keeps you leaning in to follow its layers of deceit and dry wit.

Same director: David Mamet · Tense, cynical · about deception and betrayal · twist ending

Also
Same director: David Mamet
Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • deception
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
107 min
Details In your watch list
HeistHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Criminal Minds

2005

A grim, methodical procedural that builds dread through psychological detail, offering tense case-by-case investigations with occasional glimpses of the team's private wounds.

Tense, dark · about obsession and morality

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • obsession
  • morality
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
19
Details In your watch list
Criminal MindsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Glengarry Glen Ross

1992

A tense, verbally explosive pressure cooker that makes you feel the desperation and moral rot of its characters.

Same writer: David Mamet · Tense, dark · about betrayal and morality

Also
Same writer: David Mamet
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • betrayal
  • morality
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details In your watch list
Glengarry Glen RossHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Departed

2006

A tense, grim cat-and-mouse game where every conversation feels like a trap and trust is impossible.

Tense, dark · about deception and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
151 min
Details In your watch list
The DepartedHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Talent for Murder

2026

A slow-burning, claustrophobic duel of wits that grows steadily more unsettling as charm gives way to menace.

Tense, dark · about deception and obsession

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • obsession
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details In your watch list
A Talent for MurderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Grifters

1990

A sleek, sun-bleached noir that tightens like a wire, all charm and menace, leaving a cold, bitter aftertaste.

Tense, dark · about deception and obsession · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • obsession
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details In your watch list
The GriftersHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Spanish Prisoner

1997

A cool, cerebral puzzle that keeps you leaning in, second-guessing every friendly face and every polite turn of phrase.}{.

Same director: David Mamet · About deception and betrayal · twist ending

Also
Same director: David Mamet
Via
  • deception
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
110 min
Details In your watch list
The Spanish PrisonerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Side Effects

2013

A sleek, chilly thriller that keeps you guessing, with a clinical mood and mounting unease.

Tense, dark · about deception and obsession · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • obsession
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details In your watch list
Side EffectsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Game

1997

A tense, twisty thriller that keeps you guessing and unsettled, blurring reality and paranoia until the final reveal.

Tense, dark · about deception and obsession · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • obsession
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
129 min
Details In your watch list
The GameHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Redbelt

2008

A quiet, principled man is slowly boxed in by a world of small betrayals, and you watch with tightening unease until the release.

Same director: David Mamet · Tense, cynical · about betrayal and morality · twist ending

Also
Same director: David Mamet
Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • betrayal
  • morality
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
99 min
Details In your watch list
RedbeltHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Body Heat

1981

A sweaty, seductive noir that wraps you in oppressive heat and mounting dread as desire and deception spiral toward betrayal.

Tense, dark · about deception and obsession · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • obsession
  • twist ending
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details In your watch list
Body HeatHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Free
  • YouTube Free
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, thriller, drama
Directed by
David Mamet
Written by
David Mamet
Starring
Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum, Lilia Skala, J.T. Walsh, Steven Goldstein, Jack Wallace, Ricky Jay
Music
Alaric Jans
Cinematography
Juan Ruiz Anchía
Runtime
102 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata