House of Games is one odd thriller. The world it takes place in feels empty; the whole thing seems to happen during off-hours. The vibe is on the laid back side, and carries the suggestion that one relax and be charmed by a bit of showmanship. Yet the film watches quick; the dialogue is all about making contact and moving the action. The delivery is artificially clever and dramatic. The characters feel so distant that I was not going to rate this up much, but then thought about it and realized the film still has a lot of good points to it. Recommended to those who enjoy character studies and a good magic trick.

3.75 / 5.0