In 1980 Las Vegas, a Native Paiute cleaning lady enters a slots room at the MGM Grand Casino, setting off a chain of strange and unexplained events. Meanwhile, in-house comic Pete plays shrink to a host of colorful misfits while dodging mobsters and collectors. Struggling with a gambling addiction, he faces a life-altering decision that may determine his fate.
The Vortex (2025) is a drama and comedy film directed by Richard Zelniker, released on February 14, 2025 with a runtime of 1h 23m. It stars Billy Gardell, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jamie McShane and Azita Ghanizada. Viewers rate it 4.6 out of 10 across 5 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Vortex before you stream it.
Billy Gardell
as Pete
Jaina Lee Ortiz
as Ginny
Jamie McShane
as The Pit Boss
Azita Ghanizada
as Shirin B
Emily Alabi
as Jackie
Nick Gomez
as The Tech
Christopher Titus
as Jimmy
Jeremy Luke
as Johnnie B
Shaan Sharma
as Akosh
Nick Gracer
as Louie
Mary Scheer
as Pat
Yolanda Snowball
as Alice
Directed by Richard Zelniker, written by Steven Barr, produced by Richard Zelniker, Callie Nguyen Zelniker and Adriana Rotaru.
Average viewer score of 4.6/10 from 5 ratings.
This is a fascinating study of gambling addiction and of human choices in the face of a dark and foreboding way of life. It relies on strong dialogue, good storytelling, nuanced direction and compelling and rich performances. Bravo to the filmmaker and the cast.
Reviewed on September 4, 2026
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The Vortex (2025) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Vortex (2025) includes Billy Gardell, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jamie McShane, Azita Ghanizada and Emily Alabi. The film was directed by Richard Zelniker. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Vortex was released on February 14, 2025 and runs for 1h 23m.
The Vortex (2025) holds an average rating of 4.6 out of 10 from 5 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and comedy films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Vortex trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
