DVD Review: “Poker Night” Is A First-Class Thriller

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When you become a detective in Warsaw, Indiana – you go to Poker Night, where you play against some of the best cops in the business. They tell you stories about their time on the job – their successes and failures. When new Detective Stan Jeter leaves the game, he is caught by a vicious psychopath and locked in a basement. Using the stories he heard at Poker Night, he must match wits against his captor – and save not only himself, but the young girl trapped in the basement with him.

Back in the 90s, one assumed that just because a movie bypassed movie theaters and was released on home video, that it must have been a bad film. For many this was true but today, many filmmakers choose to have their movies released on home entertainment and Video On Demand because that way, folks can rent, buy or order a movie and watch it in the comfort of their own home. I have seen many big Hollywood blockbusters at the theaters only to leave afterwards truly disappointed and I have reviewed many independent movies on blu-ray or DVD that have towered high above their big-budget counterparts, in every aspect. “Poker Night” has some cheesy DVD artwork but don’t let that deter you because it’s one of the best indie thrillers I have seen in some time.

When Officer Jeter (Beau Mirchoff) is promoted to Detective for having killed one of the state’s most notorious serial killers, little does he know that it will come back to haunt him later on. As is the norm in the small town of Warsaw, Indiana, all newly-appointed detectives must participate once a week with other veteran police officers and detectives where throughout the game, the rookie must listen to the personal stories the seasoned pros divulge to the group, the intent being that the rookie will listen and mentally observe how they brought down criminals and hopefully learn that the most important aspect of police work, is not all about firing your gun but observing a crime scene and using your brain to catch the bad guys.

Shortly after his first game, Jeter is on his way home when Amy (Halston Sage), a girl whom he really likes, cuts across the road in front of him, her hands bound and screaming for help. He gives chase but no sooner has he caught up with her than he is tazed and passes out. When he wakes up, chained in a basement, he realizes that he and Amy are now part of a cruel and sadistic game that a masked killer is playing and in order to survive, he must remember all of the stories the veteran cops told him and begin to ‘think’ his way out but as hours turn to days and days into weeks, Jeter slowly begins to realize that the masked executioner, is actually linked to the serial killer he shot and killed and must devise an escape plan before it’s too late.

The film is eerily evocative of Davind Fincher’s “Se7en” and Jonathan Demme’s “Silence of the Lambs” and while parts of the movie are, at times, forumlaic, for the most part, director Greg Francis gives the movie its own identity while still echoing those two classic thrillers without dousing the movie in their now-famous delineation. Another reason the movie works so well is because of its cast; Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”), Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) and Titus Welliver (“Argo”) all bring their A-game and because these guys not only play seasoned pros in the movie but are also that way in their careers, it’s fun to watch each of them try to out-do each other because at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD now