Molly’s Game is the second film this semester based on the notorious true stories of female athletes getting involved or implicated in shady stuff (the other being I, Tonya). Jessica Chastain gives a compelling performance as Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who, after a career-ending injury, eventually goes on to lead the world of high stakes underground poker.

Over a period of eight years these poker games were frequented by an assortment of Hollywood A-listers, sports stars, bankers, hedge fund managers and other wealthy folk. When this list expands to include the Russian Mafia, the FBI come knocking (down) Molly’s door. We see the film through the eyes of Molly, as she recounts her story to her lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Elba).

Writer and debut director Aaron Sorkin takes on this ‘I-can’t-believe-it’s-true’ story based on Molly Bloom’s 2014 memoir, applying his experience from his writing in films like A Few Good Men, The Social Network and Moneyball to this film’s themes of risk-taking, chasing success and the justifications for our actions that we make to ourselves and others.

You don’t need to be familiar with poker or the US legal framework surrounding gambling to enjoy this high-rolling drama.