History Film / HouseOfGames

* CityNoir: All night-time scenes involving the House of Games and Charlie's Tavern show features of this.

* TheShrink: Margaret is a caring psychologist. And then along came Billy Hahn ...

** Invoked when Mike spots a tell in his poker game opponent.

** Mike can sense the finger Margaret thinks of. We are not explicitly told how.

* TheEighties: Unmistakenly.

* CoolCar: The bright red convertible Margaret steals to help herself, Mike, and George escape from the hotel. [[spoiler:When she later sees it being driven by Joey, it leads her to unravel the bigger con.]]

* TrappedByGamblingDebts: Invoked when Joey tells Margaret that he owes $25,000 in gambling debts. This prompts her to visit the House of Games and meet Mike.
* WouldHitAGirl: George slaps Margaret in the face when she refuses to steal the car at the hotel.

* GrayRainOfDepression: The heavy rain when Margaret returns to Charlie's Tavern.

* ImpersonatingAnOfficer: Several members of Mike's gang impersonate police officers and undercover detectives at various points of their con.dd

A famous psychologist, Margaret Ford (Crouse), meets a gambler and conman, Mike (Mantegna), who introduces her to his dark and seductive underworld of deception. What at first starts as an intellectual curiosity, and then a thrill, soon goes over her head.

* ConMan: Mike and his friends. [[spoiler:The main twist of the movie is that Margaret thinks that she's participating in cons, but she's actually the victim]].
* CorruptTheCutie: Mike tries to do this to Margaret. [[spoiler: He succeeds posthumously, as revealed when she steals a gold lighter and smiles, completely hooked to conning.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: Mike acts like this at gun point. Almost to the extent of being a DeathSeeker.

* WouldHitAGirl: The old con man slaps Margaret in the face when she refuses to steal the car.

* FreudianSlip: Margaret does this twice when talking to her mentor. First comes when they meet for lunch:
-->'''Margaret ''': I think the only pressures in my life ...\\
'''Mentor''': The only what?\\

** The second time comes after a session with the prisoner that doesn't go well; Margaret says, "My father called her a whore", and her mentor catches that as well.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Apparently Margaret gets away with her murder.]]

->''"Of course you gave me your trust. [[ItsWhatIDo That's what I do]] for a living!"''

* TheMark: [[spoiler:It's turns out to be Margaret herself.]]

* FamousLastWords: "[[DefiantToTheEnd Thank you, sir. May I have another?]]"

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: Margaret participates in several scams that require multiple participants, [[spoiler: then discovers that it was all part of a scam on ''her.'']]

* PigeonDrop: Mike demonstrates it to Margeret at a Western Union. To prove he's a NiceGuy to her, he doesn't complete the con on his [[TheMark mark]].

* ConMan: Mike and his friends.
* TheConWithinACon: [[spoiler:The main twist of the movie is that Margaret thinks that she's participating in cons, but she's actually the victim]].

* QuickChange: The trick involving $20 falls into this category.

* LongCon: [[spoiler:''Everything'' that happens in the film was a long con aimed at Margaret.]]

* TheEighties: Unmistakenly.

* FakeMark: [[spoiler: The cop.]]

''House of Games'' is Creator/DavidMamet's 1987 directorial debut. He also wrote the screenplay, based on a story he wrote with Jonathan Katz. The film's cast includes David Mamet's then-wife Creator/LindsayCrouse and Joe Mantegna. Many actors who would become Mamet's ProductionPosse have roles in the film.

''House of Games'' is Creator/DavidMamet's 1987 directorial debut. He also wrote the screenplay, based on a story he wrote with Jonathan Katz. The film's cast includes David Mamet's then-wife Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna. Many actors who would become Mamet's ProductionPosse have roles in the film.

* FamousLastWords: "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"
* FreudianSlip:

* ChekhovsGun: The switchblade knife, which Margaret steals from the hotel room, creates some repercussions later in the story.

->''"Of course you gave me your trust ... [[ItsWhatIDo that's what I do]] for a living!"''

A famous psychologist, Margaret Ford (Crouse), decides to try to help one of her patients get out of a gambling debt. She visits the bar where Mike (Mantegna), to whom the debt is owed, runs poker games. He convinces her to help him in a game: her assignment is to look for "tells", or give-away body language. What seems easy to her becomes much more complex.

* [[AbandonedWarehouse Abandoned Airport]]: The restricted area of the airport is completely unmanned. Even the gun shots wouldn't attract anybody's attention.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: The MassiveMultiplayerScam works out because Margaret is doing exactly what she is supposed to do.]]

* TheConWithinACon: [[spoiler:The main twist of the movie.]]

* DidTheyOrDidntThey: The sex scene at the hotel is being skipped over.

* TheEndingChangesEverything: Margaret is having an AndYouWereThere moment on her second visit to Charlie's Tavern.

''House of Games'' is Creator/DavidMamet's 1987 directorial debut. He also wrote the screenplay, based on a story he wrote with Jonathan Katz. The film's cast includes David Mamet's then-wife Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna. Creator/WilliamHMacy can be seen in a minor part.

* ShoutOut: The hotel room that Mike takes Margaret to is room #1138 which is a reference to GeorgeLucas's Film/THX1138.