9 good movies that magnify con artists

By Violaine Schütz.

Published on 18 February 2022. Updated on 24 July 2026.

The Handmaiden (2016) by Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook’s sumptuous period drama, The Handmaiden (2016), takes us back to Korea during the Japanese occupation in the 1930s. The film follows a fake count, who plots a Machiavellian scheme to seduce a wealthy heiress, have her committed to an asylum, and seize her fortune. To carry out his plan, he hires a young pickpocket, Sook-hee, whom he sends to work as Lady Hideko’s maid in order to spy on her. Featuring outstanding performances by Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri and Ha Jung-woo, the film also stands out for its dark atmosphere and many masterfully executed twists.

The Handmaiden (2016) by Park Chan-wook, available on Mubi and HBO Max.

Diversion (2015) with Margot Robbie and Will Smith

Lighthearted, fun, and sexy, Diversion (2015) by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa owes its appeal to its iconic duo of actors. Margot Robbie and Will Smith, whose chemistry on screen is undeniable. They deliver an outstanding interpretation of a talented professional hustler and an apprentice criminal playing hide and seek. Will Smith shines in his Arsène Lupin-like role of a casual and elegant gentleman thief, while the charismatic Margot Robbie brings a feminist touch to the scenario as she rises to, and even outgrows, her male counterpart. As a mix of humor, suspense, action, romantic and professional scams, this thriller also charms us thanks to its sweet escapes in New Orleans and in Argentina.

Diversion (2015) by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, available on HBO Max and Prime Video.

American Bluff (2014) with Amy Adams

This glamourous kitsch, almost parodical, movie follows a brilliant and attractive couple of hustlers, a manipulative FBI agent, an annoying mafioso and a corrupted politician. If one adds to that colorful portrait gallery an accurate re-enactment of American society in the 1970s and a prestigious cast (Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro), one can guess why American Bluff was the center of attention when it was released in 2014.

American Bluff (2014) by David O’Russell, available on Canal VOD.

Heartbreaker (2010) by Pascal Chaumeil

Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, Pascal Chaumeil is a gem. Funny, flowing, fanciful, inventive, and clever, Heartbreaker (2010) offers one of the best duos ever seen in French comedy for the last fifteen years. Vanessa Paradis and Romain Duris give their best portraying a romantic con artist and his victim. The plot revolves around Alex (Romain Duris), a professional relationship breaker who, in exchange for money, makes his prey forget about any other previous love story she might have. Yet, this modern Don Juan will eventually lose his own game and fall for the woman he is supposed to trick, the magnetic Juliette (Vanessa Paradis). As the romantic idyll occurs in front of us, the audience soon falls under the spell of this spicy and spirited movie that has nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to the best American romcoms.

Heartbreaker (2010) by Pascal Chaumeil, available on Canal+.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) with Leonardo DiCaprio

When it comes to con artists, Catch Me If You Can (2002) is an absolute must-watch. Based on a true story set in the 1960s, Steven Spielberg’s film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a young con artist named Frank Abagnale Jr. The latter pulled off the extraordinary feat of swindling more than $2.5 million by assuming a series of false identities, including an airline pilot, a doctor, a university professor and an assistant district attorney. FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks, is tracking him on a relentless pursuit around the world. Blending twists, suspense and humour, the movie perfectly captures the fascinating world of high-stakes deception.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) by Steven Spielberg, available on Prime Video.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts

Las Vegas — a city of endless fantasy, extravagant hotels, glittering casinos and fortunes won or lost overnight… The city has always provided the perfect backdrop for stories about heists and cons. Set against this dazzling, yet perilous landscape, Ocean’s Eleven has become one of the defining films of the genre. Released in 2001, Steven Soderbergh’s stylish remake of Lewis Milestone’s Ocean’s 11 (1960) reimagined the story of a well-orchestrated casino heist with effortless flair. Led by an exceptional cast, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle, the film eventually became a four-chapter saga.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) by Steven Soderbergh, available on Prime Video and HBO.

I Love You Phillip Morris (2010) with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor

Starring the irresistible duo Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) is a gleefully offbeat comedy in the same vein as Catch Me If You Can (2002). Based on an astonishing true story, the film follows Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a married former police officer and ex-insurance fraudster who falls in love with a fellow inmate named Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Determined never to be separated from the man he loves, Steven devises a string of audacious schemes, including posing as a police database operator. He also impersonates a lawyer in an attempt to secure Phillip’s release from prison.

He later lands a job as the chief financial officer of a pension fund using a fake résumé, all while embezzling large sums of money. Despite his many crimes, Steven strangely emerges as a moving master of deception, driven by love and not by greed.

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, available on Canal VOD.

Jackie Brown (1997) by Quentin Tarantino, starring Pam Grier

In 1997, Quentin Tarantino was aspiring to direct a film inspired by the conventions of blaxploitation, a movement celebrating African American culture in the 1970s. To pay tribute to the genre, he cast one of its defining stars, Pam Grier. The American actress plays Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who supplements her income by smuggling cash for an arms dealer. When she is arrested at the airport by a federal agent and an LAPD detective, Jackie devises a plan to outsmart everyone during a money exchange.

Jackie Brown (1997) by Quentin Tarantino, available on Prime Video and Disney+.

The Hustler (1961) with Paul Newman 

The breathtaking feature The Hustler (1961) is set in the intimate, shady atmosphere of gambling dens. Paul Newman embodies the impudent Eddie Felson, aka “Fast Eddie”, a pool hustler who tricks beginners into thinking he doesn’t know how to play in order to higher the stakes and rip them off. After throwing himself up against a legendary pool champion, he loses everything and develops a taste for revenge.

A true black and white masterpiece, magnified by Paul Newman’s beauty, this dramatic movie uncovers the tricks of a scam that will eventually lead the protagonist and his alcoholic girlfriend to their downfall. One last recommendation? Watch the sequel, The Color of Money (1986), directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.

The Hustler (1961) by Robert Rossen, available on Apple TV+ VOD.