The film "21" was filmed in Boston and Las Vegas, USA. The locations were chosen for a reason: Harvard, where Mickey Rosa teaches according to the plot, is located in Boston, so for realism, most of the non-casino locations were filmed in Boston and its suburbs. And the casinos, of course, were filmed in Las Vegas, as that is where the largest number of poker games and tournaments take place.

Filming Locations:

Caesars Palace

In the Movie

The scene where Ben and Jill check out and have a drink at the bar, then go up to their suite to spend the night together. From the window of their room, there is a magnificent view, and we can see the fountains of the Bellagio casino, as well as the buildings of Caesars Palace.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the giant casino, hotel, and resort "Caesars Palace." This is probably the largest casino-hotel in Las Vegas. Its appearance is a landmark of the city, which is why it appears in a huge number of films, and this one was no exception.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

In the Movie

The scene where after a successful test in Chinatown, Ben flies to Las Vegas to participate in his first big and serious game. He flies on a plane and then rides a limousine to the Hard Rock Hotel, where he meets the whole team except Mickey.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the real Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. This is probably the most legendary casino and hotel in the city. Its giant neon guitar has appeared in hundreds of films, so the creators of "21" could not pass up the location and decided to use it in the film. By the way, the creators were just in time, as a few years after filming, the establishment closed forever.

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

In the Movie

The scene where the team decides to visit the "Planet Casino" on their second trip. Ben enters the hall where all the other participants are already sitting at tables counting cards. Jill signals him that it's time to start playing at her table and uses a secret dialogue to convey the current count. Everything goes well, but security begins to suspect they are working as a team.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the real "Planet Casino" - a large complex of casino and hotel, legendary enough for the creators to include it in the list of hotels that Mickey's team "cleans out." Previously, the hotel was called Aladdin, but then it was bought by another casino that appears in this film, "Caesars," and they renamed the entire complex.

Ben's Workplace

In the Movie

The scene where Ben, after biking across half of Boston, stops at his workplace. He got a part-time job as an assistant manager at a tailor shop where they make suits. He needs the job to pay for college.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the real tailor shop J Press, unfortunately this establishment is closed forever and you can only visit the building where they rented the space. This is a red brick building located not far from Harvard University.

Diner on South Street

In the Movie

The scene where Ben, Mickey, and the whole team gather in the evening at a small diner on South Street. Over a cup of coffee, they try to prepare Ben for his first game in a close circle and explain to him all the intricacies of card counting and working as a team. All this is necessary so that the casino does not catch them, so serious preparation is required.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at a real diner on South Street. The director almost never changes the names, signs, and interiors of establishments (usually all names are changed), as it is important for him to show Boston, its culture, and the Harvard atmosphere in every scene of his film, evoking nostalgia in those who studied there and the right mood in people who have never visited the city.

Illegal Casino

In the Movie

The scene where Ben goes on his first test assignment - to count cards and win money in an illegal casino in Chinatown. To do this, he walks through Boston's Chinatown, turns into an alley, and after giving the password to a smoking Chinese man at the entrance, gets inside, where he immediately spots his partner Choi.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in Boston's Chinatown, this is the passage between 68 and 70 Beach Street. This place is located right next to the Chinatown gate - a large gate made in Asian style that marks the boundary of the district. By the way, in reality, the passage between the houses is closed by a gate, and you cannot enter the alley from this side of the street.