The Films About Con Artists subgenre often falls under the Crime, Thriller and Comedy genres. Con Artists Films also overlap with other subgenres including Films About Gamblers, Films About Grifters, Films About Capers and Heists, Films about Hustlers, Films About Scams, Films About Hoaxes and Films About Fraud. For purposes of our lists, we have differentiated between small-time scams, con artists, grifters and hustlers vs. larger bank or real estate fraud. The latter films can be found in our list of Films About Financial Fraud.
The 1960’s saw one of the first (and best) films about Con Artists with Ocean’s Eleven (1960). This film would be the basis for probably the most popular franchise of this subgenre (more on that later). Other classic con artist films of this decade included After the Fox (1966), The Producers (1967) and Midnight Cowboy (1969).
Two specific films dominated the con artist subgenre in the 1970’s with the very popular Paul Newman and Robert Redford film The Sting (1973) and the Stanley Kubrick directed Barry Lyndon (1975). Other notable and lesser-known films of this decade included Sleuth (1972), Paper Moon (1973) and The Fortune (1975).
The 1980’s saw the Con Artist film subgenre become even more popular as comedies about hustlers and cons became prevalent throughout the decade. Used Cars (1980), Melvin and Howard (1980), Trading Places (1983), Risky Business (1983), Making the Grade (1984), A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) were classics of both the decade and the subgenre. Other classic films of the subgenre that were more Drama and Thriller-based included Star 80 (1983), The Color of Money (1986), and House of Games (1987). Lesser-known and notable films of the subgenre included Finders Keepers (1984), Street Smart (1987), Pass the Ammo (1988) and Masquerade (1988).
The 1990’s saw the Golden Age of Con Artist films begin which would last through the next two decades. Comedy-driven films about cons continued to be popular with classics including Taking Care of Business (1990), White Men Can’t Jump (1992), Mo’ Money (1992), Diggstown (1992), Chasers (1994) and Maverick (1994). Thrillers continued to be a popular genre for films about cons with Bad Influence (1990), The Grifters (1990), Malice (1993), The Last Seduction (1994), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Spanish Prisoner (1998), Wild Things (1998) and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). Other classics of the decade included Leap of Faith (1992), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Quiz Show (1994), Princess Caraboo (1994) and The Settlement (1999).
The 2000’s was driven by the beginning of the major franchise which would come to define the con artist subgenre – Ocean’s Eleven (2001). Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) were films from this decade that would cement the Ocean franchise as the most popular films of the subgenre. The decade also produced some of the top 20 films of the subgenre with Snatch (2000), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Owning Mahowny (2003), Matchstick Men (2003), Shattered Glass (2003), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Prestige (2006) and 21 (2008). Other notable subgenre films of the decade included Heartbreakers (2001), Made (2001), The Score (2001), Shade (2001), Hustle & Flow (2005), The Hoax (2006), Death Defying Acts (2007), Choke (2008), Spread (2009) and Extract (2009).
World Cinema Dramas contributed a few classic films of the con artist subgenre in the 2010’s with VIPs (2011), Sister (2012), Bad Genius (2017) and Academy Award Winner of Best Picture with Parasite (2019). Other classic films of the decade included The Master (2012), Now You See Me (2013), American Hustle (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Now You See Me 2 (2016), Flower (2017) and The Mercy (2018). Trust (2010), Casino Jack (2010), Identity Thief (2013), Small Time (2014), Focus (2015), Gold (2016), Pottersville (2017), A Simple Favor (2018), Driven (2019) and Bad Education (2019) are a few other notable films of the decade worth checking out.
The 2020’s have seen a decrease in the number of films based on cons and hustlers but there have been a few notable films in this subgenre with Buffaloed (2020), I Care a Lot (2001) and Nightmare Alley (2021).
Our List of Films About Con Artists includes over 218+ films from 1960 – 2022. Included in our Con Artist film subgenre are also Films About Thieves, Films About Hustlers, Films About Hoaxes, Films About Grifters, Films About Scams and Films About Fraud. We have other lists that cover some overlap of this subgenre with Films About Gamblers, Films About Capers & Heists and Films About Financial Fraud. For our list of Top Films About Con Artists You Haven’t Seen, we had to leave many notable films off the lists including Used Cars (1980), Making the Grade (1984), House of Games (1987), Pass the Ammo (1988), Masquerade (1988), Bad Influence (1990), Malice (1993), Chasers (1994), The Spanish Prisoner (1998), Made (2001), The Sasquatch Gang (2006), The Mercy (2018), VIPs (2011), Flower (2017) and I Care a Lot (2021).
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Films About Con Artists You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Scam
Plot: Female con artist is recruited for a much larger scam: ripping off a crime lord.
KBZ’s Take: This little seen TV Movie stars Christopher Walken, Lorraine Bracco and the late Miguel Ferrer. The plot starts off simple enough but you have to pay attention as it twists and turns to the point you’re wondering who is conning who. It’s a film worth seeking out for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: N/A
#9
Spread
Plot: Young Hollywood hustler sleeps with older women for a place to stay…but soon finds himself hustled.
KBZ’s Take: This isn’t Midnight Cowboy (1969) by any means, but it’s one of a few films that shows the life of a hustler – in this instance a boy-toy targeting older women. While it’s also a Romantic Drama, the film is better when it examines how a hustler like Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) survives and is one bad decision away from being homeless and on the street. It’s an above average film that shouldn’t be missed by any fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3JnIx1T
#8
Shade
Plot: Con artists target a major player in a rigged card game.
KBZ’s Take: While this is also a Film About Gamblers, it’s much more about the cons and hustles involved with card playing. It’s a bit of a forgotten film of 2003 when other more prominent Con Artists films were released during that time. With a great cast including Stuart Townsend, Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone, Gabriel Byrne and Thandiwe Newton, there are enough twists and turns in this fun yet suspenseful film that it shouldn’t be missed.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3RmZeML
#7
Bad Genius
Plot: Brilliant student starts an exam cheating business.
KBZ’s Take: This film from Thailand absolutely rocks! Excellent screenplay and exhilarating direction that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens to the main characters. This film is similar in style and substance to the “students training to scam Las Vegas” film 21 (2008), so if you enjoyed that film, you’ll like this one even more.
Additional Lists: Top Caper and Heist Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #3
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Y7dThl
#6
The Hoax
Plot: Clifford Irving sells a bogus biography of Howard Hughes.
KBZ’s Take: With one of Richard Gere’s better performances as the con man Clifford Irving, The Hoax is a great examination of how one man cons an entire publishing house with increasingly desperate (and ludicrous) schemes. It’s one of the better films of the entire subgenre that helps define the subgenre itself – a simple con or scam that gets wildly out of control.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XNdLnm
Plot: Two con men buy insurance polices from terminally ill patients waiting for them to die.
KBZ’s Take: This is a little-known film that is similar in suspense and black comedy to Fargo (1996). While it’s not the same caliber as that film, it’s still a great film with two con men way over their heads that find themselves involved with a murder. Starring the great John C. Reilly and William Fichtner, there’s enough offbeat comedic moments layered with suspense that it’s a must-see film of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/43Xo0bo
Plot: Mother and daughter con older, wealthy men.
KBZ’s Take: This is a surprisingly fun film about a mother (Sigourney Weaver) and daughter (Jennifer Love Hewitt) that pull increasingly ridiculous schemes on older men. While it’s a romantic comedy at heart, it also has some very funny moments and performances by Gene Hackman and Ray Liotta. A great film for date night that will also be enjoyed by fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40sD9kj
#3
Diggstown
Plot: 48-year-old Boxer has to knock out 10 men in 24 hours to win a bet.
KBZ’s Take: Not only one of the best sports drama films, but Diggstown is also one of the best Con Artist Films and Films About Gamblers. The film takes many twists and turns with allegiances turning on a dime between James Wood’s con artist character and Bruce Dern’s slimy Diggstown owner. Though Louis Gossett Jr.’s best film is almost always recognized as An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) (for which he won an Academy Award), our money will always be on Diggstown as Gossett’s greatest role as the over-the-hill boxer.
Additional Lists: Top Sports Drama Films You Haven’t Seen #2
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3DtuFiS
Plot: Canadian Bank Manager with a gambling problem is involved with the largest bank fraud in Canadian history.
KBZ’s Take: This isn’t like typical fraud or con movies that tend to be lighthearted or comedic. This film is more tragic as it examines one man’s gambling obsession that leads him to pull off increasingly larger fraud to feed his gambling habit. While it’s also one of the top Films About Gamblers, it’s also a film that’s not to be missed by fans of Con Artist Films either. It’s also one of the best films of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. A must-see film of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WY8tV6
Plot: True story of journalist Stephen Glass who made up entire stories at the New Republic for three years.
KBZ’s Take: If there’s one film in this subgenre you should watch, Shattered Glass is it. It’s an amazing film filled with suspense as Glass (Hayden Christensen) becomes the target of increased scrutiny over the stories he made up. Peter Sarsgaard gives his best film performance of all time as Glass’ manager who soon suspects Glass is lying and then starts to expose all the different lies. Words cannot describe how great this film is (not only of the subgenre) and is one that shouldn’t be missed. The film also has great performances from Chloë Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, Hank Azaria and Steve Zahn – and its proof that Hayden Christensen is actually a great actor despite what he was given to work with in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Hs0GsW
