By Melissa Ann
Filmmaker Mario Cerrito makes his directorial debut with the suspense/thriller/horror film Deadly Gamble. The movie was made in two weeks on a $10,000 budget and covers a very serious issue that plagues many families. Although Deadly Gamble specifically deals with gambling, it was a sobering and realistic view into addiction in general.
The movie follows compulsive gambler Andrew Cain (Bernard Glincosky) who gets in way over his head. In need of a large sum of money, he makes the unwise decision to ask the Russian mob for a loan. Andrew agrees to use his wife and parents as collateral for any unpaid dues. In addition to gambling woes, he has lost his job so the bills are mounting up and the family is in need of a new car. To keep afloat without revealing the job loss or gambling to his family, Andrew schemes his own mother out of money and digs deeper and deeper with lies. When Andrew finally has a breakdown and admits that he is unable to repay the loan, the mob violently demonstrate why getting in bed with them should never be an option. I was pleasantly surprised to see unexpected twists in the story and an ending that I didn’t predict.
Deadly Gamble is a well thought-out movie and demonstrates Mario Cerrito’s passion for filmmaking and storytelling. While some of the acting was a bit amateur, Bernard Glincosky really pulled off his performance as Andrew, to the point of making me feel uncomfortable during a few scenes. He has a great presence that makes me want to see more of his work. Manny Mertis also did a phenomenal job playing Russian mobster and torturer Viktor, along with a killer accent. Pun intended. There wasn’t much to the actual setting itself, but I was grateful for decent gore effects.
Mario Cerrito’s next project, The Listing, is set to be released in fall 2016 and I’m excited to check it out. I have no doubts that he has what it takes to make a serious name for himself within the indie filmmaking scene. I also believe that Deadly Gamble should be shown to families dealing with an addict; it could be a needed wakeup call.
Rating: 7.5/10
WATCH DEADLY GAMBLE – CLICK HERE
