The con artist on screen: from American Hustle to The Sting

Gone Girl star and former Spectator contributor Rosamund Pike steps into the shoes of a con artist in Netflix’s new original, I Care A Lot.

Just like serial killers, swindlers and hustlers have long held a fascination for film-makers and audiences alike – not least during the golden age of Hollywood.

If you appreciate a decent grift, here are eight of the best cons to hit our screens:

Hustlers (2019, Prime)

Inauguration darling Jennifer Lopez gives a decidedly unpresidential turn as Ramona Vega: the alpha female in a troupe of Manhattan strippers. Based on a true story – written up by New York magazine – the film shows how the budding femme fatales set out on a coordinated plot to drug and drain their richer clients, before eventually coming to the attention of the NYPD. It might not be the most sophisticated of cons, but it certainly did the trick. The same can be said for the film – which is as fun and fabulous as you’d expect.