Lovers of mafia dramas ought to discover this timeless film that might have slipped past their notice, available to stream without charge on ITVX.
Also on Prime Video, it's been labelled a "masterpiece" that some viewers say "I enjoyed this more than Goodfellas".
Casino, directed by legend Martin Scorsese, stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Set in the 1970s, the film follows gambling whizz Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro), who is enlisted by the Chicago mafia to oversee the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas.
The viewer, who gave the 1995 classic a 9 out of 10 rating on IMDb, elaborated: "The parts of this film I enjoyed the most were when you learned about how Vegas operated.
"And, in this sense, I enjoyed the film much more than Goodfellas... Also with the same stars and same director. This is because Goodfellas was mostly just about violence and crime... Whereas Casino seemed to have more story and wasn't always about excessive violence and nastiness...not that the film is in any way a 'nice' picture."
A perfect 10/10 review proclaimed the film as "the most uncompromising studio picture of the 1990s". The critic proceeded to describe it as "a complex, multilayered, beautifully directed film" and a "masterpiece of destruction and betrayal".
The critic also made parallels to Goodfellas as they outlined: "Few films take so many chances and succeed so wonderfully. It takes some of the basic formulas that were found in Goodfellas and applies them to another type of story.", reports the Mirror.
"While Goodfellas' view was ground-level, telling the story of the "blue collar" gangsters of NYC, this film tells the story of the guys who controlled those guys."
They continued: "An amazing film that will hopefully get the recognition it deserves in the years to come."
A separate glowing review hailed the picture as an "underrated and undervalued Scorsese Classic", praising the "superb" performances and confessing: "Every time I watch this picture I fall in love with it all over again. This is the most honest depiction of Las Vegas, especially of the time period it was portrayed in. Scorsese's direction is flawless."
Yet another five-star critique celebrated the "brilliant" acting and "superb" narrative drawn from true events, declaring: "In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the best organized crime movies of all time [sic]."
Meanwhile, a fourth perfect-score review heaped on the acclaim, calling it a "fantastic" film and their personal favourite, explaining: "I enjoyed good fellas, thought Raging Bull was great and enjoyed Taxi driver but this is a cut above the rest imo I have seen this film to many times to count and i am yet to become even remotely sick of it.
"The acting is flawless, story flows at a great pace for the full all but 3 hours, great narration and a great soundtrack [sic]."
They noted the characters are "far more believable then those in good fellas [sic]."
As the plot unfolds, we witness the challenges Ace encounters while managing the casino, dealing with mafia involvement, and the disintegration of his marriage to hustler and ex-showgirl Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), all due to his demanding profession.
Pesci shines as Ace's childhood mate and mafia member Nicky Santoro, who also plays a part in the casino's operations. The film draws inspiration from real-life events, with Ace's character modelled on sports gambler, mafia associate and FBI informant Frank Lawrence 'Lefty' Rosenthal.
Alongside its striking cinematography, Casino boasts an unforgettable pop music soundtrack featuring hits like Without You by Nilsson, Love Is the Drug by Roxy Music, Slippin' and Slidin' by Little Richard, and Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, among others.
Casino received numerous award nominations, including Oscars and Golden Globes. The film has often been compared to the earlier hit Goodfellas, and continues to be cherished as a classic gangster flick.
Casino is streaming on ITVX and Prime Video