With a no-holds-barred approach, directors Ben Carey and Billy Linker deliver a full-frontal profile of the once-booming resort town on New Jersey’s Atlantic coast—often sidelined as the “poor man’s Las Vegas.” Here, the New York-based filmmakers talk to us about the geographical star of their lively documentary:   

“Atlantic City is a dramatic symbol of American excess and decline. Once the most popular family vacation destination in the United States, the city has slid into a dystopian version of its former self, with beachfront property plummeting amid vacant lots and deserted high rise hotels garishly positioned against the coastal backdrop.     

“We brought our camera there to record a realistic portrayal of what it feels like to walk the streets of this resort town today.”