The theme of Las Vegas and casinos never gets old on the silver screen, given the fabled Nevada ‘Sin City’ is such a wonderfully storied location. Although it’s very much open to debate, given there have been lots of movies featuring Las Vegas over the years, these three have got to be up there as the greatest of all time.

Casino

When Martin Scorsese chose his cast for the production of Casino in 1995, he couldn’t have picked a better trio to play the leading roles than Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. Inspired by the life and experiences of Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal, a gambling expert who ran several casinos with Mafia links during the 1970s, this epic tale genuinely deserved more awards. That said, it remains a timeless favourite for fans of Las Vegas lore or the crime thriller genre, up there with the very best of them.

Of course, much has changed in Las Vegas since the era in which the movie was set. Indeed, the conclusion of the film even mentions how the mega-corporations took over, building massive resort casino complexes and forever changed how ‘Sin City’ looks and feels. Of course, back then the director could barely have predicted the impact the internet and online casino bonus offers would have on the casino industry: now modern gamers can play their favourite casino games from the comfort of their own home, or from quite literally anywhere via their smartphones – a world away from the scenes in Scorsese’s drama.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

In the original 1971 novel, author Hunter S. Thompson recounted his travels across the western United States. Although his tale is based on autobiographical events, it’s written in a roman à clef style, mixing fact and fiction. For example, the names of Thompson and his actual companion on the trip, Oscar Zeta Acosta, are replaced by fictional characters Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo. The book even inspired a genre of writing known as gonzo journalism.

Tasked with making a movie adaption of such a crazy work of literature, who better than Terry Gilliam to direct a psychedelic, drug-hazed journey through the Nevada desert and Las Vegas. What’s more, when it comes to far-out actors to play the leading roles, you couldn’t have asked for a better pairing than Johnny Depp as Duke and Benicio del Toro as Dr. Gonzo. This dark comedy is a great satire with some amazing imagery, which didn’t do too well at the box office in 1998, but has since become a cult classic thanks to such an outlandish story.

The Hangover

“What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas,” as the popular saying goes. Well, there’s arguably no better film to perfectly describe madcap capers in ‘Sin City’ than The Hangover, released in 2009 and directed by Todd Phillips. Waking up worse for wear after a blowout, booze-fuelled bachelor party, memories of the previous night completely gone, the suffering trio has to find the missing groom, who they somehow managed to lose the night before.

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis are hilarious in the leading roles, pondering over puzzles such as why there’s a tiger in their bathroom, who put that chicken in the living room, why is one of them missing a tooth, and how did that baby end up in the wardrobe? Their capers around Las Vegas, along The Strip and in some of the most famous casino locations, couldn’t be any crazier. The movie was so popular that it spawned two sequels in 2011 and 2013, staring the same trio of leading actors. They weren’t as good.

Special Mentions

Some of you reading might have different opinions about the top three chosen here, though to be fair, with so many great movies to choose from, narrowing down the list can be tough. With that in mind, a special mention goes to Ocean’s Eleven, whether it’s the original 1960 Rat Pack version or the 2001 remake, simply because of the all-star ensemble casts in both movies.

Rain Man with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman was an entertaining feel-good movie, as their characters beat the casinos counting cards at blackjack. Meanwhile, The Gambler starring James Caan in 1974 is a gritty classic, taking a shadier look at life in Las Vegas. There are plenty more, so tell us your favourites in the comments section below.