Action With the Volume Turned Down

Read Time:5 Minute, 49 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
High Rollers
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Genre: Action
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director(s): Randall Emmett
Writer(s): Chris Sivertson
Cast: John Travolta, Gina Gershon, Lukas Haas, Quavo, Kelly Greyson, Joel Cohen, Daniel Louis Rivas, Natali Yura, Joey Shear, Jeff Sapp, Demi Castro, Wade Hammond, Leslee Emmett
Where to Watch: available on digital June 16, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: Sometimes a movie lines up all the right ingredients—an iconic lead, a flashy heist setup, a crew of specialists—and still feels like a test run for something that never quite came together. That’s the case here, where a familiar formula gets another outing but lacks the spark to make it worth remembering. With a storyline that leans on every convention in the book, what could’ve been a sleek, character-driven crime caper ends up more like a shrug of a sequel.

The story follows Mason Goddard, a once-prominent thief forced back into action when a returning adversary kidnaps his partner. He assembles his trusted crew to pull off a high-stakes job inside a generic casino, hoping a successful mission will bring her back safely and settle old scores. On paper, it’s an efficient setup. But the film doesn’t trust its premise to work without spelling everything out beforehand. Dialogue often functions as explanation rather than emotion; characters talk through their next steps as if reading from a checklist.

What’s missing is any sense of unpredictability or weight. Scenes that should rumble with tension are mostly procedural. Instead of using these moments to explore character or build suspense, the film opts for a disjointed shortcut that drains urgency. This kind of jumpy storytelling appears repeatedly, creating a rhythm that never settles long enough to build momentum.

John Travolta takes the lead, and while there are traces of the charm that defined his earlier career, it’s clear the stakes are as low for him as they are for the character. There’s nothing wrong with a relaxed performance in a movie like this, but the energy here borders on checked out. He’s going through the motions, keeping things consistent, but not bringing the kind of dynamism that might elevate the material.

Unfortunately, Gina Gershon, taking over as the kidnapped partner, has little to do beyond existing as a plot device. It’s a frustrating waste of her potential, especially considering how much more compelling the story could’ve been if her character had been allowed to drive even part of the narrative. Lukas Haas gets more screen time than before, yet still doesn’t have much of a character arc beyond being the loyal sibling. The rest of the ensemble—Quavo, Natali Yura, Swen Temmel, and Noel Gugliemi—fill their roles with basic portrayals. Still, their contributions rarely push the story forward or deepen the stakes.

Visually, there are flashes of a better movie buried in the clutter. The cinematographer manages a few tight, moody shots that feel more deliberate than the rest of the film. A few moments are framed with genuine thought but surrounded by flat, unremarkable imagery that does little to elevate the atmosphere. While intended to feel upscale and exclusive, the casino looks more like a dressed-up event hall than a true high-end setting. Set design and costumes don’t help either, with every detail one step removed from authenticity.

Director Randall Emmett gets a few things right early on—there’s a touch of flair in how the first act unfolds, but once the plot kicks in, the structure loses focus. Big reveals land softly, and the final act, which should be where the movie cashes in on all its setup, arrives with minimal impact. The decision to lean on visual gimmicks gives the impression of ambition, but it’s all surface-level. The scenes feel stitched together without rhythm, and the action sequences rarely land with the kind of impact they’re aiming for.

A bigger issue, though, is the emotional detachment that runs through the film. Mason’s motivation—his partner—isn’t explored beyond the basics. The movie assumes we’ll care just because we’re told to, but it never works to develop that bond onscreen. Without context, the stakes feel transactional. There’s no sense of loss or fear, and the heist ends up more about completing a task than facing a moral or emotional dilemma.

Dialogue contributes to the detachment. Lines are overly direct and lack nuance, relying heavily on exposition to carry the plot. Characters explain their actions instead of letting those choices unfold naturally. There’s little room for tension or chemistry to grow, and even the occasional attempts at humor or camaraderie fall flat because they aren’t rooted in real interactions. It’s as if the script trusts the outline of the plot more than it trusts its characters.

The missed opportunities are difficult to ignore. There’s room for a snappier version of this film—one that embraces the absurdity of its premise or goes all-in on character-driven conflict. The setup invites comedy and tension, yet the tone stays too flat to explore. The structure is here for something engaging, but the execution never commits.

This leaves us with a film coasting on familiarity, content to echo better movies without making its mark. It’s not terrible, just thin. There’s effort behind the scenes, but that effort doesn’t translate to the screen meaningfully. For those seeking something new, this likely won’t scratch the itch. But for a casual background watch where expectations are low, it might pass the time, barely.

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[photo courtesy of 101 FILMS]

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