Welcome back to Movie Recapped.
Today I will show you a crime, thriller film from 2013, titled Runner Runner.
Spoilers ahead!
Watch out and take care.
The story begins at Princeton University, where student Richie Furst tells us he is
the guy to see when it comes to gambling.
Richie is at the library when one of his teachers approaches him: he gambled more than he should've
and lost, so he asks Richie for help.
But Richie can't, he's only a referral.
He shares his story then: he used to work on Wall Street until the firm that employed
him blew up and he lost everything.
We cut to a montage of various news headlines that talk about gambling: they comment on
the new phenomenon that is online gambling, how it's become incredibly common among college
students that use it to be able to afford their college tuition, how casinos have gone
from seeing online gambling as competition but now they have their own sites and own
revenue from them, how teenagers are the main victims of these sites, the tales of there
being hackers that can see opponents' hands, and lastly, they mention Ivan Block, king
of online gaming, being now on the FBI target list but still immune to any potential charges
thanks to his operating outside federal jurisdiction in Costa Rica.
Back with Richie, he returns to his dorms to find an urgent e-mail from the dean, asking
him to come to his office for an important talk about his future in Princeton.
Moments later, we find him in the middle of that meeting with the dean and a fellow student
Richie referred to the gambling site in the past.
It was this young man that told on him when his father found the gambling expenses on
his credit card, which Richie doesn't appreciate.
Now the dean is scolding him for promoting gambling on campus instead of working on his
master on finances.
He reminds Richie gambling and bookkeeping are forbidden on campus, and if Richie continues
with this little business of his, he'll be forbidden on campus as well.
The dean dismisses the other student then, and Richie tries to defend himself saying
he didn't do anything wrong: he hasn't stolen from anyone, he's just an employee for a website.
Hhe needs this money to pay for his tuition since he's not eligible for financial aid
because of his old job.
This isn't good enough for the dean to get off his case, but because professors have
talked highly of Richie and his grades are pretty good, he is given one last chance:
he must close shop or say goodbye to Princeton.
Richie returns to his room, where he realizes he only has one choice: he must gamble all
his remaining money to get the amount he needs to pay his debts.
He starts playing poker online for a good amount of hours while his friends cheer him
on, including Craig.
The beginning is good: Richie knows all the tactics and statistics, and he's playing on
more than one table at the same time.
But little by little, his friends leave his side and so does his luck: there's a particular
player that is sweeping the floor with him.
That person is amazingly good - so good that it's unrealistic.
It feels like this person knew Richie's hand at all times, and it makes him feel like he
got stabbed in the eye.
Frustrated as he can be, he goes to one of his friends in IT to ask for his opinion.
His friend confirms what Richie has been suspecting: that strange player had cheated.
He needs to do something about it, so he decides to visit his dad, Harry, who has gambled since
young and has an addiction problem.
They haven't seen each other in years, so Richie's visit comes as a big surprise.
Harry thinks Richie is there to play, but he's wrong: what his son wants is to know
if Harry has any contacts in Costa Rica that could get him close to Ivan Block.
But Harry knows nothing.
Days later, we see Richie leave the dorms with his bags, intending to go to Costa Rica
to find Block.
Craig tries to stop him by mentioning how much of a crazy idea that is.
Richie, sounding rather naive, says it's about integrity in the business.
Craig says an important guy like Block isn't just going to receive Richie and give him
his money back, but Richie doesn't listen.
This is his last chance.
Hours later, Richie arrives Costa Rica, where a gaming convention is being hosted.
Outside the airport, he meets two fellow referrals: Pet and Andrew Cronin.
Neither of them knows how to reach Block.
Meanwhile, at a sauna house, Block is chatting with two politicians, who accuse him of being
homesick.
He denies this and tells them he's living the best life, convincing them to comment
on his issues with the committee before sending them off to a massage.
Richie takes a taxi at the airport that drops him at the very humble hotel he's staying
at.
In the balcony of his room, he bleaches and inks some special papers, obviously with a
plan in mind.
Hours later, he shows up at the gaming expo, where he overhears a man asking a beautiful
woman, Rebecca Shafran, about Block since she's his business partner.
The man isn't successful, but that doesn't Richie from trying too.
He manages to impress her enough to get an invitation to the company's party.
The following night, during the party, Richie approaches one of the security cameras and
takes out his bleached sheets of paper.
They look empty at first but when he applies UV light to them, a message appears that says
he has proof that was cheated out of his money on Block's website.
Security picks him up and takes him to Block, Rebecca is there too.
Richie explains his problem and tells him about his proof: the results from the software
his friend at IT ran.
He also tells Block that instead of going to the news or the internet, he's come directly
to Block.
Block takes the report and tells him he appreciates the gesture before simply dismissing him.
The next morning, the same security guys pick up Richie and take him to Block's fancy boat.
Block explains that it was some of his programmers that cheated and were fired.
The money has been returned to Richie's account, but Block doesn't want Richie to leave yet.
He's impressed by his guts, honesty and intelligence, and wants him to work for him, promising good
money.
Richie accepts.
We see a montage of Richie's new life next.
He's doing extremely well in this new job, taking over a head position and even being
able to bring his friends Pet and Andrew to work with him.
He's got everything he wants, except for one thing: Rebecca.
Soon we learn Block isn't as honest as he looks.
He pays a visit to Costa Rica gaming director Herrera, whom he's been consistently bribing
to keep other politicians off his back.
Herrera asks for more money, explaining how the situation in the government is tense:
they don't like the kind of people these "gringos" and their gambling bring to their country.
Block is very angry by this, and leaves without really agreeing to pay the rise.
Later that night, everyone is at yet another party.
Richie approaches a dice table to help with a vexed player.
He takes over the dealer with Rebecca's support and manages to make the guy lose and leave.
Rebecca and Richie move to the bar then, where she tells him she's very impressed by him
but also that it's her job to be close to him, it's only professional courtesy.
Richie doesn't believe her.
Through a text, Block invites Richie to join him on the footbridge, where he's feeding
chickens to some crocodiles.
He tells Richie about a guy coming from London: Brett Sheck, or Shecky.
He's a super affiliate for another website, and Block wants him working for him, so he
gives Richie the mission of bringing him over to their company.
Richie accepts the job.
Days later, Rebecca is watching Richie leave the place in a jeep, and Block approaches
her to ask her about her interest in Richie.
She says they're friends, and wonders if Block wants her to stay away.
He denies it, telling him to do whatever she wants, because that's what he does too.
The jeep takes Richie to his destination, but as soon as he comes out of it, he's jumped
on and kidnapped.
He's taken to an abandoned building where he learns who is behind all this: Agent Eric
Shavers from the FBI.
He tells him he's kidnapped him so Block wouldn't see them together, and that he wants Richie
to work as an insider in Block's company, which is committing all kinds of crimes like
racketeering and bribing.
Richie doesn't want anything to do with that, but Shavers offers a deal and threat at the
same time: if Richie works for him, he'll make his disciplinary issues at Princeton
disappear.
If he doesn't, he'll mark Richie as a felon and he won't be allowed to re-enter the country.
After being freed, Richie hurries to find Block, who is in the middle of a basketball
game.
Richie tells him about his encounter with the FBI, and Block isn't surprised by this,
since Shavers has been on his back for a while, this encounter happened to him and other employees
as well.
He tells Richie he can leave if he wants, but he should think it over: they aren't doing
anything wrong, they're helping people get the money they need to survive, Shavers is
just jealous and is trying to use Richie because he doesn't have jurisdiction on this country.
Block manages to convince Richie to stay.
The meeting with Shecky happens a few days later at a bar.
He asks for the same deal he has with his current company, which Richie can't give him,
so he asks for a day to see what he can do.
Shecky accepts if it's only one day, because soon he must return to his pregnant wife.
Later at night, Richie meets with Block at a casino to tell him how things with Shecky
went, and asks him for more room to negotiate.
Block turns him down, because if they give Shecky whatever he wants, all affiliates will
ask for the same.
If Richie truly wants this bonus, he'll do whatever needs to be done to get the deal.
The next day, Richie gifts Shecky an afternoon alone in a boat with a crew of beautiful.
He tells him to call him if he changes his mind about the deal and leaves him to have
fun.
Hours later, at Shecky's hotel room, we see Richie's plan come to light: he recorded Shecky
sleeping with the girls in the boat, and now he is bribing him to sign for his company
so he won't tell his wife.
Devastated, Shecky has no other option but to accept.
Hours later, back at Block's place, he congratulates Richie for getting Shecky and his clients,
and gives him extra cash as a bonus.
That night, Richie goes to a party where he meets Rebecca.
After drinking and dancing, Richie and Rebecca have a chat: there's obvious attraction between
them, but they think they can't do this.
A moment later they end up making love behind the bar's garden wall.
In the morning, they make their way back on foot.
Rebecca tells him how Block and she built all this together.
They used to be in a relationship, but not anymore.
Later that day, back in Richie's place, he finds Pet and Andrew arguing.
Pet has bags with him and is ready to leave.
When Richie asks why, Pet explains he was kidnapped by the FBI too and now he's scared
he won't be able to return home, so he's going back before he's blocked.
Richie tries to tell him Shavers has nothing to them but Pet doesn't listen: he's already
got a position waiting for him on Wall Street.
Andrew hears this and retrieves some money he's hidden in cereal boxes, since maids never
check there, and gives it to Pet to invest for him.
Pet leaves after saying his goodbyes.
Richie gets a call from Block then, who has a special job for him.
We see Richie going through the steps as Block explains it through voice-over.
Richie must go to the casino, get a key from one of Block's security guys, Willson, then
go to the Cage and open box 765, retrieve the contents of that box and take them to
Mr Herrera.
He does so later at night, visiting Herrera at a bar where there are cops as well.
Richie gives Herrera the suitcase and he passes it to one of his officers, who takes it to
another room for control.
He comes back to tell his boss there isn't enough money.
Herrera asks Richie about the rest and when Richie says that's all, Herrera gets angry
and wonders if Block is trying to send him a message.
Richie doesn't know what to do, so he tells Herrera he'll let Block know he's unhappy
and pays for everyone's tab.
Herrera pretends to be satisfied by this and sends Richie off, but he's jumped on by Herrera's
people as soon as he makes it outside.
After they finish, Herrera says he's sending a message to Block too.
He rushes back to Block's place, where Richie confronts him, angrily accusing him of sending
him to be beaten.
Block doesn't care, he tells him that if he wants a safer job or a cleaner conscience,
he can go work somewhere else, because this is how the gambling business works and he
would send Richie to be beaten up again if necessary.
Richie leaves, and Willson asks Block if he knew this would happen.
Block explains things are escalating: six months ago, Herrera wouldn't have touched
anyone Block knows, so they better move up the timetable.
The next day, we see Richie at the airport, trying to leave the country.
But he's stopped at customs and taken to an interrogation room where a cop plants illegal
substances in his bag.
Shavers arrives then and Richie finally admits the agent was right about everything and that's
why he's trying to leave, but Shavers doesn't let him.
He says he can get him out of this but Richie needs to truly help them.
Since that cop isn't under Block's payroll, Richie wonders why he doesn't arrest him since
cops do have jurisdiction here, unlike the FBI.
The officer reacts by pushing back with the table.
He can't arrest him because Block will just pay judges and jury off and he'll lose his
job.
Richie has no other option but to accept to help Shavers.
Richie returns to the company and goes to see Andrew, who tells him he's been doing
some serious look into the company's software and has discovered something huge: Block is
running a Ponzi scheme; the players' accounts have no actual money, and Block uses the money
as his own bank account, keeping just enough to allow players to cash out when they need
to.
One of Block's people interrupts their talk and takes Richie to see Block, who is aware
Richie is trying to run away.
Block's found footage of Richie's father at a casino.
Henry owed money to some dangerous people and he was about to be arrested before Block
saved him and paid for his debt.
With the debt belonging to Block now, so does Richie's father, which is clearly a threat
to Richie even if he doesn't put it in those exact words.
Richie says thank you, pretending to appreciate the gesture.
After leaving the office, Richie visits his dad at the hotel Block put him in.
Henry takes him to the balcony and tells him he knows what all this is really about.
He gives Richie permission to run away without worrying about the consequences, he's lived
enough and he's ready to go.
But Richie cares about his dad, so he stays.
In order to save himself and his dad, Richie starts working on a plan.
Since payoffs and bribes are how the casino business works, he starts doing some bribing
of his own, passing money to various cops and people under the Willson's careful watch.
Back at the company, Richie gets a call from Andrew, telling him Shavers approached him
and admitting he was right about everything.
Andrew has found more evidence of criminal activity but doesn't tell him what it is,
just asks him to go see him in person.
Richie intends to do exactly that but Willson gets in his way and drags him into a boat
ride to go see Block by a river harbor.
Herrera and one of his men are there, hands tied up, and Herrera asks for his friend to
be freed because the problem is with him.
Block ignores his request before covering them in chicken fat for a bet: they throw
them in the river and see how long it takes for the crocodiles to get them.
Richie tries to stop them to no avail.
The clock ticks and the crocodiles don't come, for a moment Block thinks it's just a legend
but he's quickly proven wrong: some crocodiles do arrive and attack.
Willson shoots them away but they only manage to save Herrera.
Richie is disgusted and upset by all this, but pretends to be fine.
Later that night, Richie returns to his apartment to find it rumbled it up and Andrew nowhere
in sight.
Rebecca arrives then and after checking she wasn't sent by Block, Richie tells her Andrew's
disappeared and that he was cooperating with the feds, which he's sure Rebecca knew, but
she denies it.
Richie says he can't trust her, that she knew Block was going to use him.
To prove him wrong, Rebecca reveals that Block and her will leave the country in a week and
will leave the company and all its problems under Richie's name.
She only learned about all the crimes after she was too far in, too many paper trails
incriminated her.
She apologizes and Richie tells her that if she means it, she will help.
The bribing of cops and people continues the next few days, including secret meetings with
Rebecca and also Herrera's people.
They tell Richie Herrera has left the country, so Richie bribes them as well.
His last visit of the day is to El Capitán, and after having a drink with him at bar,
Richie is chased by the FBI as soon as he steps outside.
They corner him in an abandoned building and ask him about Andrew, Richie tells them he's
disappeared and calls them out for not protecting his friend and dad.
The cop punches him for that comment and almost throws him off the building, but Shavers saves
him and asks the cop to take a picture of them together with his gun.
He blackmails Richie then: he has 48 hours to give him evidence on Block or that picture
will ruin his life.
Richie hurries back to his apartment and tries to find Andrew's USB-stick, he finds it inside
a cereal box and checks it on his computer.
There's enough evidence there to put Block and himself away for life.
He meets Rebecca a few hours later and tells her what he's found out while she tells him
they're packed and leaving to Antigua in 48 hours, but she's still with Richie.
Block interrupts them then, so Richie leaves.
He returns to his apartment and grabs the last of the money that he takes to El Capitán
at a bar.
When he's leaving, Willson finds him and threatens him because he knows who El Capitán is and
what he does.
The people Richie has been paying off come in to save him.
While he watches them, Shavers calls Richie and tells him they found Andrew, hurt but
alive.
Richie tells him that he'll give him something better than evidence.
We cut to the company then, which is now empty and being raided by the police.
Block timed it all perfectly, having left before the cops arrived.
Block calls Richie from the airport and Richie, at the office, pretends not to know what's
going on.
Block tells him he'll be arrested and the problems are his now, he's leaving.
We see him board his private plane with Rebecca, they leave after Willson doesn't show up.
Meanwhile, Richie pays off one of the raiding cops to allow him to enter the company's port
and climbs on a plane as well, where his dad is waiting.
Both planes arrive at the same airport hours later, and Richie confronts Block when he
steps out.
He comments on how Block planned all perfectly to manipulate him, but Block doesn't care,
he says he owns this place too.
Richie reveals his plan then: they aren't in Antigua, they're in Puerto Rico, American
territory.
Rebecca was part of this plan and so was the pilot of Block's plane: El Capitán.
The FBI arrives and Shavers arrests Block, but no Richie because he's a cooperator.
He does intend to debrief him though, but Richie is leaving with Rebecca on her plane.
Shavers send cars after him, but stops the chase when an envelope arrives and finds the
USB stick with the evidence inside.
Richie is free.
The movie ends with Richie and Rebecca enjoying the plane ride and planning their new life.