Despite being one of the longest films from Martin Scorsese, Casino never lags or runs out of steam. From its gripping opening sequence with the car bomb to its bittersweet conclusion, the movie never takes itself too seriously for a moment and keeps you glued to your seat.

Featuring the always-fascinating performances of Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, Casino is a brutal slice of life that makes its point in grand style. Like Goodfellas, it offers a glimpse into the life of mobster culture and shows how even the most successful criminal can hit rock bottom. But where Goodfellas relied on shocking set pieces, Casino goes deeper into the psyche of its characters to offer a more rounded picture of life in the crime business and the relationships that bind and destroy them.

Beneath the varnish of flashing lights and free cocktails, casinos are rigged to slowly bleed gamblers of their hard-earned cash. Those who know how to game the system can win big but they’ll have to risk everything, including their lives. That’s the message of Martin Scorsese’s fascinating Casino, based on the nonfiction book by Nicholas Pileggi.

The movie follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is hired by the Chicago Outfit to oversee day-to-day casino operations at Tangiers in Las Vegas. The film details his operation of the casino, the difficulties he encounters and his relationship with streetwise chip hustler Ginger McKenna (Stone), who helps him evade mob prosecution. Casino also shows how Vegas evolved in the wake of the mafia’s decline and the rise of the huge gambling corporations that now dominate the city.