Oscar Isaac has become one of the most well-respected working actors in Hollywood over the last decade. His career began with the role of “Pool Boy” in 1998’s Illtown, building up to his showing in Body of Lies (2007), Robin Hood (2010), Sucker Punch (2011), Drive (2011), and what’s often hailed as his best outing to date, Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). Now, he’s got four new films in the works, all of which will likely land in 2025.
On the blockbuster scene, Isaac has been rather hard done by. Few will remember X-Men: Apocalypse, the Star Wars sequel trilogy, or his turn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Moon Knight for their strong writing or original concepts, but he’s still been able to shine on-screen away from the franchises. So, whenever you pick up a standalone flick with Isaac in it, you can at least be sure of a strong performance from him.
Now, we turn to what could easily rank among Isaac’s best performances to date, and in a film that’s certainly worth a watch for, if nothing else, how it masterfully subverts a well-known Hollywood trope. Released in 2021 to a worldwide box office gross of only $4.4 million, as per The Numbers, The Card Counter is tied with Ex Machina for fifth among Isaac’s Metacritic-rated films that aren’t tied to superheroes and Star Wars, boasting a strong 78 score.
Taking the central role, it’s easy to see why critics and the few who have seen The Card Counter praise it and Isaac so highly.
Relaying Blackjack Mechanics into Character
Whether you take 21 (2008), Rain Man (1988), The Last Casino (2004), The Gambler (2014), or The Hangover (2009), blackjack is showcased as a game of strategy. It’s a very well-known Hollywood trope, and when you know how blackjack works, it’s an understandable one for writers of entertainment to tap into. Whether it’s on the felt or in an online game, the house edge is very low. In fact, online blackjack boasts one of the lowest house edges, giving players the best chance to win each hand and over the course of a session. This comes down to the players being able to make decisions on the next play, such as by clicking on the hit, stand, or double-down buttons.
In films like 21 (2008), Rain Man (1988), and The Gambler (2014), blackjack is more than a game; it becomes an extension of character, a storytelling device where each decision at the table sheds light on who the player truly is. The mechanics of blackjack—hit, stand, double-down—serve as pivotal moments that reveal personality traits and motivations, framing each choice as a calculated risk. In online blackjack, this narrative depth finds a new setting, where players act out their own strategy-driven scenes, navigating games that reflect the high-stakes thrill of the cinema.
The online format offers players multiple ways to test their skills, from accessible $5 minimums to bolder $100 stakes, much like a character sizing up their risk tolerance. Options range from classic single-deck to variations with side bets like Perfect Pairs, inviting players to make decisions that could sway the odds. Just as a film character would rely on learned strategies, online players can reference probability charts, bringing the house edge down to as low as two percent—a calculated approach that adds depth to every choice made on the digital felt.
In a live online setting or even with an RNG game, the freedom to consult a strategy sheet or pause between moves allows players to emulate that same character-driven precision seen on screen. With a low house edge but ever-present risks, online blackjack for real money becomes a story of skill and decision-making, echoing the tension and strategy that make blackjack a compelling motif in films. Here, each hand becomes a moment of suspense, inviting players to embrace the role of a strategist balancing risk and reward.
Perfectly Portrayed by Isaac in a New Way
In most movies, it’s not uncommon to see the characters make the wrong call either under high pressure at the table or in their human reaction after a big win, for example. After all, card counting isn’t permitted in any gambling establishment, and those caught end up losing their winnings. This is where William Tell comes into play in The Card Counter. Everything to do with his blackjack play, such as preferring the quiet calm of a low-end casino as many online blackjack players do at top-tier platforms to the glitz of a famed house on The Strip, relays a key part of his character.
He’s not the ambitious, rebellious, or even superbly intelligent character that blackjack tends to relay. Instead, the windowless casinos offer him a kind of self-imposed incarceration, the motions of the game offer him a repetition that his time in prison allowed to keep back his PTSD, and his quiet control and confidence is continually reflected in his risk-averse nature of sticking to “modest goals.”
It’s these modest goals that allow Tell to remain under the radar while also further imposing the limits he believes he deserves to be held under. His nickname being “Tell” isn’t merely shorthand for his full name, William Tillich, either. People will look for his tell at the table and in his everyday life, but in stark contrast, Isaac’s character presents a firm, smooth outer shell that gradually begins to crack as the film progresses, revealing his personal tells and what continues to keep him seeking repetition and confinement beyond the bars of prison.
Throughout, Isaac puts in a masterful performance that relays Tell’s attempts to remain in control, shows perfectly how he can hide his activities in plain sight, and then begins to unravel as we learn more about his repressed past. It’s very much a character study written and directed by the man behind Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, Paul Schrader, and deserves to be rated as highly as it is for, at the very least, Isaac’s performance.
Next year, the actor might be spending a lot of time on the red carpet with four films – two of which have him in voice roles (The King of Kings, where he voices Jesus Christ, and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse) – closing in on releases, including the star-studded drama adaptation In the Hands of Dante. Any of his fans getting hyped for a big 2025 should certainly check out The Card Counter next.
