17 Movies About Con Artists Who Actually Get Away With It

Audiences often find themselves rooting for the charismatic deceiver rather than the law enforcement officers chasing them. These films feature brilliant protagonists who execute elaborate schemes to steal fortunes and vanish before the credits roll. The satisfying conclusion of seeing a perfect plan come together without consequences provides a unique form of escapism. This list highlights seventeen movies where the con artists successfully outsmart their marks and escape with the goods.

‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2001)

Danny Ocean gathers a crew of eleven specialists to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. The team navigates high-tech security systems while Danny tries to win back his ex-wife Tess from the casino owner. They execute an elaborate bait and switch operation that leaves the vault empty and the authorities baffled. The group disbands into the night with millions of dollars in their pockets.

‘The Sting’ (1973)

Two grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con against a ruthless mob boss in 1930s Chicago. Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorff create a fake betting parlor to lure their target into a high-stakes gambling trap. The intricate plot involves corrupt cops and fake deaths to sell the deception completely to the mark. They walk away with the money while the mob boss is left humiliated and confused.

‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)

Roger Kint tells a customs agent the story of a heist gone wrong and a mysterious crime lord named Keyser Söze. Kint weaves a complex narrative involving a group of career criminals who are blackmailed into a suicide mission. The police believe they have solved the case based on his testimony and release him from custody. The final moments reveal the true identity of the mastermind who vanishes before authorities realize their mistake.

‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ (1999)

A billionaire bored with his corporate life decides to steal a Monet painting from a museum in broad daylight. Insurance investigator Catherine Banning suspects him immediately and engages in a game of cat and mouse to prove his guilt. Crown uses a series of decoys and misdirections to return the painting while stealing another one right under the nose of the police. He escapes the country to meet Banning for a romantic future free from prosecution.

‘Inside Man’ (2006)

Dalton Russell orchestrates a bank heist where hostages and robbers dress identically to confuse the police. Detective Keith Frazier attempts to negotiate while discovering the bank founder has hidden secrets in a safety deposit box. The robbers never actually steal any money from the vault and instead vanish among the released hostages. Russell walks out the front door unnoticed with a diamond ring and evidence of the owner’s war crimes.

‘Focus’ (2015)

Nicky Spurgeon is a seasoned con man who takes an amateur grifter named Jess under his wing. They become romantically involved before he abruptly ends the relationship after a major score in New Orleans. Years later they cross paths in Buenos Aires during a high-stakes racing scam operation. The pair manages to outsmart a jealous billionaire and escape with their lives and the money.

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ (1988)

Two con men on the French Riviera compete to swindle an heiress out of fifty thousand dollars. Lawrence Jamieson and Freddy Benson use various disguises and sob stories to gain the sympathy of their target Janet Colgate. The competition escalates until they discover they have been outplayed by the very woman they were trying to rob. Janet reveals herself as a legendary con artist known as The Jackal and leaves with the money.

‘Now You See Me’ (2013)

Four street magicians are brought together to form a group known as The Four Horsemen. They perform elaborate stage shows where they rob banks on other continents and rain the money down on their audiences. An FBI agent and an Interpol detective chase them across the country without understanding the true nature of the trick. The magicians successfully frame a magic debunker and disappear into a secret society.

‘A Fish Called Wanda’ (1988)

A group of diamond thieves turns on one another as they try to locate their hidden loot after a successful robbery. Wanda Gershwitz manipulates her partners and a barrister named Archie Leach to secure the diamonds for herself. The chaotic series of double-crosses results in most of the gang being arrested or incapacitated. Wanda and Archie successfully flee the country with the fortune to start a new life.

‘Confidence’ (2003)

Jake Vig and his crew accidentally steal money from a crime boss and must pull a new con to pay him back. They target a corrupt banker with a complex scheme involving corporate loans and offshore accounts. The plan requires perfect timing and the cooperation of a femme fatale named Lily. They fake their own deaths to fool the mobsters and split the proceeds of the scam.

‘Heartbreakers’ (2001)

Max and Page Conners are a mother and daughter team who swindle wealthy men into marriage and quick divorce settlements. Their operation hits a snag when Page falls in love with a bartender while targeting a chain-smoking billionaire. The duo navigates legal troubles and romantic entanglements to secure their financial future. They eventually succeed in getting the money and keeping their freedom to run more schemes.

‘Maverick’ (1994)

Bret Maverick is a cardsharp trying to raise the entry fee for a high-stakes poker tournament on a riverboat. He joins forces with a charming thief named Annabelle Bransford and a marshal while traveling across the Wild West. The tournament ends in chaos when the prize money is stolen and subsequently recovered by Maverick. He allows his father to escape with the cash while he enjoys the thrill of the adventure.

‘Paper Moon’ (1973)

Moses Pray travels through Depression-era Kansas selling overpriced Bibles to widows by claiming the deceased husband ordered them. He gets saddled with a nine-year-old girl named Addie who proves to be a natural at the grift. They form a partnership that swindles bootleggers and shopkeepers across the state. The film ends with the pair escaping police pursuit to continue their life on the road together.

‘Matchstick Men’ (2003)

Roy Waller is an obsessive-compulsive con artist who discovers he has a teenage daughter named Angela. He teaches her the tricks of the trade and involves her in a large currency exchange scam. The operation appears to go wrong when the mark discovers the ruse and police intervene. It is revealed that Angela and his partner Frank conned Roy out of his life savings and disappeared safely.

‘Wild Things’ (1998)

Guidance counselor Sam Lombardo is accused of a crime by two students in a plot that destroys his reputation. The accusation turns out to be part of a larger conspiracy involving insurance money and hidden bank accounts. A police detective investigates the twisting case of betrayal and murder among the conspirators. One of the students survives the deadly fallout and is seen sipping cocktails on a tropical island with the loot.

‘The Italian Job’ (2003)

Charlie Croker assembles a team of experts to steal gold bullion back from a former associate who betrayed them. They manipulate the traffic control system of Los Angeles to create a massive gridlock for their getaway. The crew uses modified Mini Coopers to transport the heavy gold through subway tunnels and storm drains. They successfully retrieve the gold and retire to wealthy lives in various parts of the world.

‘Logan Lucky’ (2017)

Two brothers plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a popular NASCAR race to reverse their family curse. They recruit a safe-cracker who is currently incarcerated and must break him out and back in without detection. The elaborate heist involves pneumatic tubes and a staged prison riot to cover their tracks. The group enjoys their share of the money while the FBI closes the case without making arrests.

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