MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Short film

The River

2022 · 15 min

A tense, gritty character study that tightens with every bet, leaving you nervous for a man stretched too far.

Directed by
Ian Homsy
Genres
Drama
Starring
Philip Schneider, Dominic Sullivan, Neal Sarin
Overview
A working-class gambler makes his way into a high-stakes poker game intent on taking his opponents for a ride.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Ian Homsy
Genres
Drama
Starring
Philip Schneider, Dominic Sullivan, Neal Sarin
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • survival
  • ambition
  • class
  • obsession
  • fate
Places
  • big city
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action5
Horror1
Humour2
Realism8
Romance1
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like The River

TV series

Kaiji

2007–2011

A nail-biting psychological duel where every gamble is a high-stakes chess match of lies and desperation.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about survival and obsession

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • obsession
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
2
Details
KaijiHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Just Come Home

2023

A tight, stomach-knotting little gambling drama that pins you to the table while a desperate man weighs his family against his greed.

Tense, dark · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
11 min
Details
Just Come HomeHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Espejismo

2024

A taut, downbeat short that tightens like a trap, keeping you uneasy as two desperate men circle a bargain.

Tense, dark · about survival and fate

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • fate
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
16 min
Details
EspejismoHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Cut

2025

A claustrophobic, slow-burning descent into obsession and self-destruction, with a relentless focus on the body as a battleground.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about survival and ambition · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • ambition
  • single location
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
99 min
Details
The CutHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

GLASSGOLD

2025

A tense, claustrophobic plunge into one person's compulsion, leaving you uneasy and wrung out.

Tense, dark · about survival and class

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • class
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
12 min
Details
GLASSGOLDHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Making Luck

2019

A taut, sweat-soaked gym duel that plays out in careful, quiet strokes, building pressure until the final bell.

Tense, dark · about survival and ambition · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • ambition
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
3 min
Details
Making LuckHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Fairplay

2022

A tense, satirical look at desperate competition that builds unease toward an inevitable crash.

Tense, dark · about ambition and class

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • ambition
  • class
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
17 min
Details
FairplayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Pay For Sex

2020

A grimy, slow-burning descent into gambling dens and bad choices, watching a desperate hustler try to outrun the consequences.

Tense, dark · about survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
81 min
Details
Pay For SexHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Vacant

2024

A short, grim slice of street life that plays like a tense, wordless moral test.

Tense, bleak · about survival and class

Via
  • tense
  • bleak
  • survival
  • class
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
4 min
Details
VacantHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Way

2013

A gritty, slow-burning character study that immerses you in the harsh realities of underground fighting and the struggle for dignity.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about survival and ambition

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • ambition
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
95 min
Details
The WayHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Vitthal Teedi

2021

A slow-burning character study of a small-town gambler's rise, blending charm and tension with a melancholic undercurrent.

Tense, slow-burn · about ambition and class

Via
  • tense
  • ambition
  • class
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details
Vitthal TeediHidden from your suggestions.
Short film

Twin Aces

2022

A tight, nerve-jangling short that keeps you leaning in as the stakes climb around a card table.

Tense, dark · about survival · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
13 min
Details
Twin AcesHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Ian Homsy
Written by
Ian Homsy
Starring
Philip Schneider, Dominic Sullivan, Neal Sarin
Runtime
15 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDB

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.