Thrillers like *No Country for Old Men* use coin flips, rigged games, and...

https://seat42f.com/the-stakes-on-the-table-chance-fate-and-risk-in-thriller-and-horror-cinema/

Thrillers like *No Country for Old Men* use coin flips, rigged games, and contracts to build dread by forcing characters to gamble with fate. These elements strip control away, leaving tension to hang on chance and cold inevitability