The film attracted a strong critical following in North America and helped to launch Owen's acting career there.

His relationship with his girlfriend Marion begins to deteriorate when he lets her read part of his book about a cold, unfeeling croupier who enjoys seeing gamblers lose, a character transparently based on Jack himself.

Jani shows him bruises saying she got them from gambling creditors and asks Jack to be the inside man for a planned robbery at the casino.

It is a big success, but he does not change anything about his life, continuing to work as a croupier and live in his basement flat, not even buying the new car he wanted.

Jack goes on with his life and gets another call, this one from Jani, who congratulates him on playing his part in the attempted robbery and implies that she benefited significantly.

She then puts his father on the phone, who implies that he set up the croupier job for Jack to arrange for the attempted robbery, and that he benefited as well.

The website's critical consensus reads, "The writer slumming for human truths and real experience is a common enough story, but this cool-headed and slick thriller provides a gut-churningly compelling backdrop to a look at our darker sides.

"[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[8] Stephen Holden in The New York Times called the movie, "a breezy meditation on life as a game of chance.