Las Vegas is an iconic American city, one that is particularly popular not just among gamblers and sun-seekers, but also with screenwriters, directors, and filmmakers. As a setting, Las Vegas has it all—the glitz and glamour of the casinos and shows, the over-the-top luxury of a Las Vegas hotel, the rugged scenery of the mountains and deserts, upscale neighborhood mansions juxtaposed with down-on-their-luck decrepit apartments, the seedy underbelly of the gaming industry, and even the thriving cities just beyond the Strip. From the lights of the hotels and casinos to the views of soaring mountains and desolate deserts, the city never fails to provide a dramatic backdrop to any storyline.
The following list has a little something for every film lover in any household: from dark dramas likeLeaving Las Vegasto classics likeViva Las Vegas,great heist filmslike all theOceans 11variations, or comedies likeFools Rush InandHoneymoon in Vegas. A fan of mob movies? Cue upCasino.In the mood to laugh? Look no further thanThe Hangover. Looking for something to hit you right in the feels? Turn onPay it Forward.
These are the best movies set in Las Vegas.
Updated on September 24th, 2023, by Samuel Cormier: If you have always wondered which movies took place in Sin City, then you will be happy to know that this article has been updated with more content.
20The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
Hold onto your Rock Bell phones! The buddy comedyThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegascertainly gets creativity points for successfully stone-aging Las Vegas. Which, in a weird way, almost makes sense - after all, the early heyday of Vegas took placewhile the original TV show was still on the air. Plot-wise, this prequel delves into the relationships between the Flintstones and the Rubbles in their, shall we say, earlier years. The film stars Stephen Baldwin, Mark Addy, Kristen Johnston, and Jane Krakowsi as the two infamous pairs.
What Makes It Great
Borrowing the title from another entry on this list, this film succeeds in re-imagining Las Vegas in a whole new light. Is this an Oscar-nominated masterpiece? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. But it also doesn’t need to be. This is a simple, feel-good comedy that’s set in an interesting world with fun characters… there’s no harm in that! Enjoy indulging your inner child and take in all the ridiculous puns this world has to offer.The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegasis currently available to rent on Apple TV, Prime, and Vudu.
19Last Vegas (2013)
Last Vegas
InLast Vegas, childhood friends Billy (Michael Douglas), Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline) meet up in Las Vegas to celebrate Billy’s bachelor party. However, those friends who have not seen each other in a while quickly realize that Las Vegas is not all that they remembered, and that their friendships may not have stood the test of time as well as they hoped.
InLast Vegas, four great Hollywood actorsmeet for their first ever collaboration. It has been called a milder take onThe Hangover, with older characters, which is rare for this type of movie. While not a critical success, the film has been praised for its realistic portrayal of friendship and aging. Despite dealing with deeper topics, the film stays light-hearted and funny throughout. A nice watch with some legendary actors.Last Vegasis currently available to watch on Paramount+.
Army of the Dead
Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted. Directed by Zack Snyder.
Zack Snyder’sArmy of the Deadis yet another killer zombie film to add to his already impressive repertoire. Placing the end of the end-of-the-world setting in Las Vegas is nothing new - video games likeDead RisingandFallout: New Vegashave been mining the place for years. In this version, however, the now-walled city is host to an army of creepy crawly zombies and a group of mercenaries looking to score big.
The juxtaposition betweenthe glitz and glam and the living deadis cinematically beautiful in the most grotesque of ways. Needless to say, the stakes of this casino heist have most definitely been raised! Featuring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, and Tig Notaro, this action-packed thrill ride is both a zombie film and a Vegas movie unlikely anything you’ve ever seen. This ‘spiritual successor’ toDawn of the Deadhas spawned at least one sequel, with even more on the way.
Army of the Deadis currently available to stream on Netflix.
17Pay It Forward (2000)
Pay It Forwardis set in the towns surrounding Las Vegas. In the film, seventh grader Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) lives with his single mom (Helen Hunt). Just starting school, his teacher, Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey), is emotionally (and physically) scarred. Trevor starts a goodwill movement known as “pay it forward” that soon changes the lives of the struggling adults around him.
Be prepared to break out the tissues! Thispoignant motivational movieactually inspired many similar movements in schools and businesses. The film itself left audiences torn between equal parts sadness, heartbreak, and everlasting hope. WhilePay It Forwardwas a mediocre success at the time of its release, with professional critics judging it as emotional Oscar-bait, nobody can undermine the lasting success of the idea shared in it.Pay It Forwardis currently available to rent on Apple TV, Prime, and Vudu.
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16Smokin' Aces (2007)
Smokin' Aces
The thrilling action-comedySmokin' Acestouts an A-list ensemble cast that includesRyan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, and Ray Liotta. The storyfollows a Las Vegas magician-turned-wannabe gangster who decides to snitch on the mob. Their decision causes a swarm of people of varying backgrounds to go after him in order to claim the $1 million bounty on his head. Reynolds portrays FBI special agent Richard Messner, who is enlisted to keep the washed-up performer safe and ensure his testimony. This causes him to go head-to-head with hitmen, bounty hunters, and angry mob members alike.
This thrillingOcean’s 11xPulp Fictionmashup was a success at the box office and has gone on to attract a cult following ever since. Although the film contains several different plotlines, it is rather well-balanced and easy to follow thanks to Carnahan’s directing abilities, and the all-star cast makesSmokin' Acesall the more enjoyable to watch. Some smartly sprinkled dashes of comedy make this film a well-rounded, easily rewatchable one.Smokin' Acesis currently available to watch on DirecTV.
15Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Diamonds Are Forever
InSean Connery’s final outingas the iconic secret agent James Bond, the epic spy filmDiamonds Are Foreverchronicles the debonair Ian Fleming character’s efforts to infiltrate a diamond smuggling ring and the rich business tycoon behind it. to do this, Bond must head to the City of Sin to investigate. Once there, he realizes his longtime nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is also there, hoping to create a lethal laser satellite. Now he must go undercover as a smuggler alongside Tiffany Case in order to take down this pseudo-dictator.
The film includes a memorable car chase scene in which Bond flies through the streets of Vegas in a Ford Mustang (and later on two wheels), to elude the police. In doing so, he showcases his legendary hero status in quite a spectacular fashion. In fact, many consider this film the best Connery James Bond, full of humor, action, tricks and gadgets, one of the prettiest Bond Girls, and two of the dumbest villains. Several ad-libs show just how much Connery himself enjoyed making the film, such as the drink-spitting “dry martini shaken with a little bit of carrot cake, and blend it to mush, please”.Diamonds are Foreveris currently available to watch on MGM+ and DirecTV.
14The Cooler (2003)
The Cooler
The CoolerstarsWilliam H. Macy as Bennie, a professional cooler employed by a casino to end the winning streaks of gamblers. A cooler is a person who, when he or she is on a casino floor, causes people’s luck to fail. Winning streaks die in his wake! As it turns out, Bennie is a former gambling addict who is working for Shelly to pay off his debts. Also of note are Maria Bello, who plays a cocktail waitress named Natalie, and Alec Baldwin, who plays the casino manager, Shelly. When Bennie and Natalie fall for each other, his luck suddenly changes, much to the anger of Shelly.
Baldwin and Bello were both nominated for Golden Globes for their phenomenal, melancholic work on this excellent film about the consequences of gambling. Unlike many Las Vegas-based movies which celebrate the city’s vices, this one decided to choose realism instead. It successfully conveys the evolution from an addicted gambler to a functioning member of society, notably through a focus on costumes, showing clothes that fit the character better and better during his remission. If the setting might seem basic at first, the approach taken by director Wayne Kramer and performances by Macy, as well as his supporting cast, make it a smart take on Vegas’s gambling culture.The Cooleris currently available to stream on Peacock.
13Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
A great Nicolas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan, and a plane full of skydiving Elvis impersonators are just a few reasonsHoneymoon in Vegasearns one of the top spots for a comedy set in Vegas. Cage plays Jack Singer, a man who swore to his mother on her deathbed that he’d never get married. When the film opens, he and his girlfriend Betsy (Parker) have been dating for years. Of course, she wants to get married and have a family. He proposes that they fly to Las Vegas to get married. Once there, Jack loses Betsy after getting himself involved in a rigged high-stakes poker game. A series of hijinks ensue that finds Jack stealing a taxi in Hawaii, ending up stuck in San Jose, and eventually donning an Elvis costume and parachuting in to get Betsy back.
This ridiculous and light-hearted comedy is certain to have audiences laugh to no end. Cage is true to himself in his insane role, and brings both Caan and Parker up to his energy levels.Honeymoon in Vegasis a true testament to comedy movies from all eras, and delightfully honors the infamy of Las Vegas. A single phrase sums up the ridiculous hilarity of this film: “Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter”… enough said!
Honeymoon in Vegasis currently available to buy on Apple TV and Prime.
1221 (2008)
Loosely based on the nonfiction bookBringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millionsby Ben Mezrich,21tells the entertaining storyof a group of students who ‘cheat’ Las Vegas. The film follows Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a shy yet educated college student in dire need of $300,000 to pay for Harvard Medical School, He’s inveigled into a secret group of MIT card counters known as the MIT Blackjack Team, run by a math professor named Micky Rosa (played by, once again, Kevin Spacey). Their plan is to pull a card-counting scam at a Vegas casino… That is, until things go horribly, horribly wrong.
21was a clear success at the time of its release, holding the number-one spot in the United States and Canada for its first two weeks in theaters. The whole concept of card-counting is so appealing to the average viewer, that audiences cannot help but be riveted. Of course, that was aided by an efficient cast led by Jim Sturgess and a simple but effective plot that keeps the viewers on its toes about the fate of the young students.21is currently available to watch on DirecTV.
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11Indecent Proposal (1993)
Indecent Proposal
If someone offered you a million dollars to spend the night with them, would you? In 1993, everyone was talking about what they would do if they were faced with the kind of proposal that Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore’s characters received inIndecent Proposal.That was the question at the center of this Las Vegas-based movie alsostarring Robert Redford.
Never mind that in real life, the rich man offering $1 million probably wouldn’t look like Redford… That being said, plenty of theatergoers did vie for knockoffs of Moore’siconic ’90s black dress. The movie won many awards, many praising the daring concept. While some critiqued the misogynistic gender roles and the restraint of the actual plot, Moore and Redford’s performances were praised as the sexy adulterer and the mysterious, charming millionaire, respectively. If the film was not popular at the time of its release and won several “worst” awards, it has since become somewhat of a cult classic, and Moore a model for sultry women characters.Indecent Proposalis currently available to watch on Paramount+.
