Vague Visages’ Double Down South review contains minor spoilers. Tom Schulman’s 2022 movie on Amazon, Apple and Vudu features Kim Coates, Lili Simmons and Igby Rigney. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews, along with cast/character summaries, streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings.

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Lili Simmons plays it perfectly in Double Down South, a cinematic descendant of the modern gambling classics Rounders (1998) and Mississippi Grind (2015). Written and directed by Oscar-winner Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society ), the 90s-set drama centers on a female pool hustler in Georgia. Double Down South accentuates Simmons’ blend of supermodel-like sensuality and street-smart toughness, as previously displayed in popular TV series like Banshee (2013-16) and True Detective season 1 (2014). As Diana, the American actress produces another disarming performance, this time alongside Sons of Anarchy veteran Kim Coates as Nick — a racist southerner with revenge on his mind.

Double Down South’s first act boasts all the gambling culture bravado that makes Rounders so re-watchable. When Diana shows up at a run-down Kingsville estate upon learning about a high stakes keno pool opportunity, she receives guidance from Nick — a truly despicable character who manipulates a one-eyed employee (Igby Rigney as Little Nick) while obeying orders from his old school father (Tom Bower as Old Nick). When Simmons’ protagonist shows potential as both a hustler and a female attraction for horny patrons, she earns an opportunity to win big money. Unfortunately, Diana’s behavior in Double Down South’s middle section betrays the first act character profile, though Schulman’s intriguing yet flawed script ultimately explains some of the female hustler’s head-scratching decisions.

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Double Down South rips during the first act. Clever character nicknames? Check. A thorough explanation of keno pool culture? Oh, yes. A stunning lead? Boom. Even the staging stands out, almost like Schulman initially imagined Double Down South as a stage production. But the middle act suffers when the writer-director tries to set up the climactic twists. Meaning, Diana transforms into an elite hustler but emotionally crumbles while processing insults from a pervy patron (Jeff Trachta as Harvey Block). The performances suddenly feel rigid; the dialogue seems unnatural. And then Schulman introduces a crucial character named Beaumont DuBinion (Justin Marcel McManus), a Black hustler who returns to Nick’s compound — after surviving a nearly-fatal beatdown during a previous visit — to say lame things like, “All I’m here to do is shoot keno, you son of a bitch.” Much like the 2024 crime flick Marmalade, though, there’s a method to the screenplay madness. It’s all a bit messy, however, unlike Simmons’ sharp and kick-ass lead performance.

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Schulman shows his hand early in Double Down South. He introduces corny supporting players — all of whom spout corny dialogue (aside from Big Nick and Rebecca Lines as Nick’s girlfriend, Sheila) — and then leaves it to Simmons to carry the film on her own. As for Coates (the main headliner), he essentially plays his Sons of Anarchy character, Alexander “Tig” Trager, and coasts along with bravado, though the actor does show a vulnerable side at times. Nick’s playful interactions with his main squeeze add some realism and charm, yet Double Down South’s romantic conflict is surprisingly unsexy, which makes one wonder how a female filmmaker might’ve approached a story about a beautiful female hustler with an axe to grind.

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As Diana continuously references her mysterious boyfriend in Double Down South, the end point becomes clear as day — it’s just a matter of how Schulman will arrive at his conclusion. Simmons does her best with the material, as she sells both the hustler aspect and character vulnerability when discussing the past, all the while not having an opportunity to develop sexual chemistry with anyone in the film whatsoever (perhaps the biggest flaw of Schulman’s script).

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Double Down South isn’t necessarily a dud (it’s an entertaining gambling film with a strong lead performance), but Schulman needed to drop a few chest-thumping men for more realistic characters akin to Rounders’  Worm (Ed Norton) — a hustler who understands the art of reading a room. Double Down South’s crew of tough-talking patrons at Big Nick’s estate seem like weekend preppie gamblers rather than actual sharks. And so no one will be surprised when the tables turn and Schulman reveals his big twist.

Double Down South released digitally on March 1, 2024 via Level 33 Entertainment.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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