Title: “High Roller”
Genre: Drama, Crime, Gangster
Created by: Julian Morello, Cara Zayn
Starring: Savannah Haim, Reuben Villanova, Erich Hess, Claire Becker, Abie Lena, Gretchen Geist Allin, Mariko Kobayashi, Slim Money, Alesha Hill
Country: United States
Language(s): English
Directed by: Julian Morello
Produced by: Julian Morello, Ashford York
Production Company: Paramount Pictures, Half-Moon Productions
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: July 18, 2021
Running Time: 162 minutes
Budget: $75 million
Box Office: TBA

“High Roller” is a 2021 American crime film created and written by Julian Morello and Cara Zayn, directed by Julian Morello and produced by Julian Morello and Ashford York. Distributed by Paramount Pictures which also served as the production company alongside Half-Moon Productions. The film features a primary cast including Savannah Haim and Reuben Villanova in their first major leading roles with a supporting cast that includes, Gretchen Geist Allin, Clare Becker, Erich Hess, Abie Lena and Mariko Kobayashi among others.

The film was conceived and written by Julian Morello and Cara Zayn as well as being directed by Morello in only his second directorial role following 2016's novel adaptation of “We Were Liars”. The film was shot primarily in Nevada and California and to a lesser extent Mexico and filming began in early 2020 for two weeks before this was re-scheduled to continue in late August 2020 and set to wrap in mid-November 2020. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, filming for the movie was regularly halted and interrupted. But with filming and post production finished in early January 2021 which was the initial expected release date of the movie, the film was switched to a summer 2021 release with it set to hit cinema’s and streaming platforms on July 18, 2021.

Set in modern day Las Vegas, it tells the story of a stripper and aspiring singer/actress “Reby Arizona” (Savannah Haim) who falls for a Californian gangster “Vincent De Palma” (Reuben Villanova) who can offer her the life that she had always dreamed of, having spent the majority of her life obsessed with becoming a cultural icon in the same ilk of her idol Marilyn Monroe and other icons of the silver screen from days gone by. The pair embark on a passionate and wild relationship that sees them reach dizzy heights of wealth and a lifestyle in the United States that the young aspiring actress could only dream of. However, the lavish lifestyle could come at a cost with the possibility of their whole world being brought down by the short-cut's taken in order for them to get to the top.

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Plot;

In modern day Las Vegas, Nevada “Reby Arizona” is working as a ‘showgirl’ at one of the clubs on the Las Vegas strip, she is seen enjoying the friendships that she’s formed with the other girls that she works with, in particular a busty blonde called “Candy Cane”, she also enjoys the job that she does and appears to be loved by everybody that works at the club but knows that she doesn’t want to be there forever and wants the beautiful life that she dreams of in the hills of California. This dreaming is partly due to the clientele of some of the people that show up at the club that are often enamoured by her classic Hollywood beauty and style that is considered her selling point as they talk about one day taking her away from all of this and giving her that dream Hollywood lifestyle, this of course never seems to come to pass as she states to one of them, “Oh sweety, if you really think you have the power to make all of that happen, don’t you think you’d be hanging out in somewhere a little classier than this dive?”. It becomes a running joke between Reby and the other girls, most notably Candy Cane that some girls are destined to be working as a stripper for the long haul but some girls like Reby are meant for something a little bigger.

The appearance of a suave Italian-American “Vincent De Palma” and a group of guys including his right-hand man “Roberto Alejandro” turn heads in the club as they stop by one evening, as the guy watches the girls performing in a group setting he becomes immediately drawn to “Reby” and returns the following night and requests the services of “Reby” personally, the pair flirt and sparks are immediately evident between the two and as the evening comes to a close, he offers to take her back to his suite which she declines but makes him promise to return the following evening.
As he returns the following evening, the pair connect once more which leads to “Reby” being convinced that “Vincent” is the real-deal in terms of getting her out of the Las Vegas clubs and into that rich and famous lifestyle she is so obsessed with having. Her friends try to convince her that if he is indeed as wealthy and connected as he suggests that it’s likely to be from risky and dangerous ventures but it’s too late to save “Reby” from herself, she is already drawn fully into “Vincent’s” charms and she meets him later that evening as the two embrace passionately in his penthouse suite.

The following day, she’s driven to her rented apartment just outside of the strip to collect some of her things as he offers to fly “Reby” out to his home in Calfiornia in his private helicopter in order to “Get a taste of the life that you crave so much.” She agrees to go with him and hang out there for a while, all the while knowing that if it’s everything he says it is then she will likely not be returning to her former life. This is exactly the dream ticket that she’s looking for, to fall in love with somebody that can offer her the lifestyle that she always felt she was destined for.

Things begin fine in California for “Reby” as she begins making her own connections with people with similar tastes, three months down the line she is thriving out there, involved in a number of ventures including running a lucrative wine company and even becoming owner of a string of high-class nightclubs in California. But despite all of this, she feels disconnected from “Vincent” and his entire world, she knows he’s involved in things that aren’t exactly above board but as they’re funding this lifestyle she’s happy to allow things to continue this way. She knows that an empire is slowly building around her and understands the sacrifices that are needed to be made in order for this to all be possible, but on the rare occasions that “Reby” and “Vincent” are together, it’s clear that the passion that was there from the beginning still remains between them, she just longs for that more. But he’s constantly away, which brings worry and paranoia into their relationship and they begin to argue a little more each time they’re together to the point where she has a showdown with “Vincent”, where she states “All we ever seem to do is fight and fuck.”. At which “Vincent” smooths things over and the two eventually end up getting engaged, leading to a huge wedding in the garden of their new Hollywood mansion months later.

Newly married, the pair’s passion continues to burn brightly and they become a very influential couple in California as a whole and are constantly dressing up and going to high class functions. However, behind closed doors “Reby” gets the feeling like things are starting to unravel as she continues to butt heads with “Vincent” over his dangerous associations, her thought is that they’ve made enough money from the shady dealings so much so that they have legit business ventures that could see them maintain this lifestyle without being involved in the drugs game. But “Vincent’s” obsession with making more and more wealth for himself and his wife start to go too far as he begins to create a partnership with an excessive drug lord “Gio Lopez” who already has amassed huge amounts of wealth from his almost complete control of a Cuban-Miami link wear by almost 85% of drugs brought into Miami from Cuba come from organisations run by “Gio”. As “Vincent” befriends “Gio”, he see’s his new friends levels of wealth and status at the levels that he aspires to and the pair begin their plans for expansion between their separate organisations which if they can achieve their control over the drug trade on the west coast primarily a triangle link as they call it between Mexico-Nevada-California and replicate any fraction even close to the success “Gio” has between his own border link then they believe they would achieve new levels of wealth seen within their “industry”.

“Reby” is brought into the fold of the plans between “Vincent” and “Gio” by the two families spending more and more time together in order to make her feel a little more at ease with the idea and she believes she finds a friend in “Gio’s” wife “Arielle” and becomes very close friends with “Vincent’s” right-hand man’s fiancée “Naomi” whom they both share a dislike to the idea of the both their men getting involved with “Gio’s” organisation. As “Reby” and “Naomi” become very close following the two organisations working together, “Gio’s” wife “Arielle” starts to become jealous of the pair and starts acting erratically as she feels like they’re not to be trusted due to their hesitation in the whole operation.
Things start to turn dark as both men start to get more involved with big jobs, where they previously would have had people in the trenches for them doing the majority of the risky work, they had usually just overseen the plans. But as one major plan which would have seen them bring their largest collective amount of cocaine into the country goes wrong while in Mexico, leading to a number of people being killed in the process, the two men start to have resentment towards each other with each believing the other was the cause of the misfire operation.

They continue to undermine each other and “Gio” and “Arielle” begin plotting secretly to bring down “Vincent” and “Reby’s” entire world. This begins with the families meeting up together for crisis talks which appears to go well and seemingly puts them both on the same page and “Gio” and “Arielle” introduce “Reby” to “Kimi-Jin” who befriends her and begins working in the mansion as the maid. All the while, she’s made to report back to the “Lopez” family. It doesn’t take long before “Kimi-Jin” is found out, once she’s been found out she frantically tries to get “Reby” to come to her sense and flee the whole operation as she had become fond of “Reby” in her brief time spent with her, but as “Kimi-Jin” is found out, it doesn’t take long before she’s taken care of by “Vincent’s” right hand man “Robbie” who assassinates her at her motel home.
“Naomi” finds out about this and considers this the final straw, she arrives at “Reby’s” mansion one evening and tries to convince her to leave with her, knowing that things are building between the two families to the point of all out war breaking out between them. Fearing for her own safety and with her relationship with “Vincent” still passionate but filled with anger and resentment for the things that he’s involved in, she agrees to jump in a car with “Naomi” and attempt to escape from this lifestyle.

The final stages of the movie see’s “Robbie” telling “Vincent” that “Naomi” has left, he reveals this at one of their clubs during a meeting with Gio and his wife, as “Vincent” races home to speak to “Reby” to get her to convince her friend to remain loyal to the organisation he notices she’s taken some of her things. He was also followed by Gio and his wife discreetly as they continue to plot Vincent’s downfall. This leads to Vincent and Robbie jumping into a car and attempting to chase down Naomi and Reby while also being followed by Gio and Arielle. They’re hot on the tails of the two women as they continue to try to flee and everything finally comes to a head as they venture into a baren area of San Bernardino. The two girls are forced to give up, knowing that they could continue driving a little further but they wouldn’t be able to shake off the pursuit. Eventually the car comes to a halt on the side of the road and they exit the vehicle, running up a dry desert-like hill and over the other side, out of sight.
But both Vincent and Robbie do the same, they come to a stop as they find the deserted vehicle and head up the same hill having only been moments behind the girls. As they reach the top of the hill and see the girls running on the other side, they continue in pursuit, the audience is only shown the view of the hill with nobody standing there, two empty vehicles at the bottom before they hear a number of gun shots.

After the sound of the drama, gun shots and screams and burning light and smoke coming from the other side of the hill, the audience are given sudden silence as Vincent is seen coming over the hill, carrying a blood soaked “Reby” in his arms. As the sound of a car explosion can be heard and the light from the fire glowing behind him. Creating the lasting image of the movie before the end credits roll with the audience not knowing who survived and what would be left of them.

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Primary Cast;





(from left to right, top to bottom - Savannah Haim, Reuben Villanova, Erich Hess, Claire Becker, Abie Lena, Gretchen Geist Allin, Mariko Kobayashi, Slim Money and Alesha Hill)

Savannah Haim as Reby Arizona:
Rebecca ‘Reby’ Arizona is the main character in “High Roller”, she begins the movie as a Las Vegas show girl with aspirations of one day making it in Hollywood as a singer and actress like icons of the silver screen from days gone by. Fiercely ambitious and determined, she’s willing to do whatever it takes for her to get to where she wants to be. She falls for the California based gangster Vincent De Palma during a whirlwind weekend where he offers her the very world that she’s dreamt of and the two embark on a passionate and dramatic relationship that reaches the highest of highs. She falls into the common pitfalls of excess that this new wealthy lifestyle brings as it all comes shattering down around her.

Reuben Villanova as Vincent De Palma:
Vincent De Palma is an Italian-American gangster obsessed with fulfilling his own version of the American dream. During a highly lucrative drug run from Las Vegas back to California he meets Reby Arizona and becomes enchanted by the woman working as a show girl and offers her the opportunity to join him on a trip back to California and the opportunity to open doors for her to make in Hollywood. He’s a cold and calculating man with a charm but is very dangerous, he’s created a wealthy lifestyle for himself as a drug lord in California and he’s not afraid of the trouble that he brings to the people around him.

Erich Hess as Gio Lopez:
Giovanni ‘Gio’ Lopez is a Mexican-American drug lord, the primary leader of an organisation that worked the Cuban link with Miami to massive levels of wealth. His organisation is expanding out west with a Mexico-Nevada-California link and he looks to create a partnership with Vincent De Palma due to his familiarity and connections within that region. The two strike up a partnership but as we all know, there can only really be one true leader. Underhanded tactics and backstabbing between the two begin as they both fight for supremacy which leads to a massive turf war between the two leaders and everybody involved. Only one can truly survive as leader.

Claire Becker as Arielle Lopez:
Arielle Maria Santiago Lopez is the wife of Giovanni Lopez, the daughter of royalty in Cuba which opens doors for her husband and his organisation, she’s a conflicting character that can play the sweet doting wife but just as easily flip the switch and be ruthless and vindictive. She fakes friendship with Reby Arizona as the two husbands begin to work together, but things soon turn sour as the war between the two organisations begin, leading to disastrous consequences for the two women and their closest confidantes.

Abie Lena as Maria Lopez:
Maria Lopez is the daughter of Arielle and Giovanni Lopez, she generally tries to stay out of business matters within the family and prefers to look the other way when it comes to their less than legit dealings. She gets caught up in the drama and brought into the war, ultimately paying the ultimate sacrifice due to her ties with her family.

Gretchen Geist Allin as Candy Cane:
Alana ‘Candy Cane’ Riley is a popular Las Vegas stripper and best friend of Reby Arizona. She’s the comic relief in the early stages of the movie, light-hearted and witty, she’s against the idea of her best friend taking off with Vincent De Palma and warns Reby of the pitfalls of her poor decision making.

Mariko Kobayashi as Kimi Jin:
Kimi Jin works as a maid for Vincent De Palma at his home in California, she becomes friendly with Reby and encourages her to get out of the difficult and dangerous situation she has put herself in. This eventually leads to Kimi Jin being taken care of by Vincent’s people.

Slim Money as Robbie Alejandro:
Roberto ‘Robbie’ Alejandro is Vincent’s right hand man, the person that he relies on to do all the dirty jobs. He’s responsible for assembling and organising the logistics of major drug runs. He’s also relied on by Vincent to take care of people that are considered a threat to the operation. He doesn’t like the presence of Reby when she’s brought into the fold and considers her a distraction to the organisations main goals.

Alesha Hill as Naomi Savante:
Naomi Savante is the girlfriend of Robbie Alejandro, she’s a strong willed young woman with ambitions of the perfect family life. She has to deal with Robbie’s various issues, but loves him too much to walk away. She becomes close friends with Reby Arizona as they bond over the high class life that they’re given and both try to accept the less than legit means of which this lifestyle has came to them.

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Soundtrack;

COMING SOON