The Odds

Conventional yet entertaining, The Odds follows Tyler Johnston’s Desson as he attempts to navigate the world of underground gambling – with the film detailing Desson’s efforts at figuring out just why his best friend killed himself after supposedly winning big during an illicit game. Filmmaker Simon Davidson kicks off The Odds with a slick and irresistibly captivating opening sequence in which several teens place bets on a high-school wrestling match, with the initial emphasis on the aforementioned underground gambling scene leading the viewer to expect a fairly typical rise-and-fall, Scorsese-like crime drama. It inevitably becomes clear that Davidson has something far more low-key in mind, as the film segues into a fairly subdued midsection revolving around Desson’s investigation – with the ongoing inclusion of needlessly melodramatic elements (eg Desson’s crumbling relationships with both a fellow gambler and his flighty father) wreaking a fair amount of havoc on the movie’s tenuous momentum. It’s also worth noting that The Odds, for the most part, suffers from a lack of stand-out scenes that ultimately prevent it from ever really taking off, although there’s little doubt that the film benefits substantially from Johnston’s almost ridiculously charismatic central performance. (This is despite the actor’s often creepy resemblance to a young Tom Cruise.) The middling atmosphere persists for much of the running time, yet it’s impossible to downplay the effectiveness of an exciting third-act foot chase – which, when coupled with an entertainingly over-the-top climax, cements The Odds‘ place as a consistently passable piece of work.

**1/2 out of ****