Finder’s Fee

Finder’s Fee

Year: 2001

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Jeff Probst

ThrillerDrama

Friends Tepper, Quigley, Fishman and Bolan meet for their weekly poker night, each contributes a lottery ticket unchecked until the game ends. On a stormy evening, Tepper, about to propose, finds a wallet with a $6 million winning ticket. He contacts the owner, Avery, hides the ticket; when Avery arrives, he asks to join the game, raising the stakes.

Finder’s Fee (2001) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Finder’s Fee (2001) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

The rain‑slicked streets of an aging apartment building set the stage for a night that begins as routine and quickly hints at something larger. Every week, a tight‑knit group of friends gathers around a worn kitchen table for a game of poker, their only rule being that each player must contribute a fresh lottery ticket to the pot. The ritual is equal parts low‑key comedy and quiet competition, a harmless gamble that reflects the ordinary lives they lead while subtly underscoring how much they all have to lose.

​Tepper arrives early, already unsettled by a chance discovery: a wallet left on his doorstep that contains a ticket boasting a six‑million‑dollar jackpot. The find thrusts him into an unexpected moral crossroads, forcing him to decide between personal gain and doing the right thing. When ​Avery—the wallet’s owner—walks in, his calm yet wary demeanor adds a layer of quiet tension, turning the evening into a delicate dance of secret knowledge and unspoken expectations.

The other members of the crew—​Quigley, ​Fishman and ​Bolan—each bring their own brand of humor, anxiety, and bravado to the table. Their banter is laced with friendly rivalry, but the presence of a potentially life‑changing ticket quickens the pulse of the game. The stakes feel suddenly personal, as old jokes mingle with deeper questions about loyalty, luck, and the price of ambition. Their interactions are a study in how ordinary camaraderie can be strained when fortune looms on the horizon.

Against the backdrop of a storm‑rattled night, the film weaves a mood that balances witty repartee with a growing sense of unease. It invites viewers to linger on the subtle shifts in power and conscience that emerge when a simple game becomes a crucible for greed, generosity, and the fragile ties that bind friends together.

Last Updated: October 23, 2025 at 16:21

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Pressure Cooker Morality Movies like Finder’s Fee

Stories where confined settings force characters to confront their greed and betrayal.If you liked the confined tension and ethical unraveling in Finder’s Fee, explore these movies where characters are trapped by circumstance. These thrillers and dramas use a single setting to create a pressure cooker of moral conflict, betrayal, and high-stakes decisions among a small group.

claustrophobictenseanxiousgreedytreacherousdeceptivemoral conflict

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often unfold in real-time or over a short period within a limited space, like a single room. A central catalyst, such as a secret or a valuable object, escalates tension and pits characters against each other, revealing hidden agendas and forcing a climactic confrontation over a moral or ethical fault line.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a claustrophobic, tense mood and a steady, methodical pacing that amplifies interpersonal conflict. They focus on how pressure exposes character flaws and the fragility of relationships, often leading to a bittersweet or consequential ending.

Movies about High-Stakes Gambles and Deception like Finder’s Fee

Where a single high-stakes gamble exposes the deceptive nature of relationships.Fans of Finder’s Fee's poker-night deception will enjoy these movies about high-stakes gambles. These films explore the psychology of greed and betrayal, where a potential windfall puts friendships and morals to the ultimate test, often within the framework of a game or a risky venture.

greedytreacherousdeceptivehigh stakescalculatedbetrayalpsychologicaltense

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a seemingly straightforward game or opportunity that quickly spirals into complex deception. Characters who appear friendly become rivals, manipulated by the allure of a prize. The story follows the calculated risks and escalating lies, culminating in a twist or revelation that recontextualizes the entire gamble.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core theme of greed corrupting relationships, delivered with a tense tone and moderate narrative complexity. They are united by the focus on a high-stakes secret that drives the plot and the bittersweet aftermath of characters facing the consequences of their choices.

Unlock the Full Story of Finder’s Fee

Don't stop at just watching — explore Finder’s Fee in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Finder’s Fee is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Finder’s Fee Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Finder’s Fee, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Finder’s Fee Summary

Finder’s Fee Timeline

Track the full timeline of Finder’s Fee with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Finder’s Fee Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Finder’s Fee

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Finder’s Fee. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Finder’s Fee

More About Finder’s Fee

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Finder’s Fee: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Finder’s Fee