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The Grifters

The Grifters

Crime · Drama · 1990

A small-time conman has his loyalties torn between his estranged mother and his new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.

Movie details

The Grifters

“Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who’s conning who?”

1990 Crime · Drama 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

A small-time conman has his loyalties torn between his estranged mother and his new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Grifters?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Night and the City

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Londoner Harry Fabian is a second-rate con man looking for an angle. After years of putting up with Harry's schemes, his girlfriend, Mary, becomes fed up when he taps her for yet another loan.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen Frears

Written by

Donald E. Westlake

Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston

Lilly Dillon

John Cusack

John Cusack

Roy Dillon

Annette Bening

Annette Bening

Myra Langtry

Jan Munroe

Jan Munroe

Guy in bar

R

Robert Weems

Racetrack Announcer

Stephen Tobolowsky

Stephen Tobolowsky

Jeweler

Jimmy Noonan

Jimmy Noonan

Bartender

Court is in session

Put The Grifters on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.