Here’s a list of the Top / Best / Must-Watch Con / Heist Movies I’ve come across. I haven’t seen some of them, but have heard a lot about them and plan to watch them soon.
Not all of them can be exactly categorized as con movies, but most of them come close.
Top 10 Con Movies
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The Sting – 8.4/10
In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.
The Bank Job – 7.5/10
Martine offers Terry a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London’s Baker Street. She targets a roomful of safe deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry. But Terry and his crew don’t realize the boxes also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets – secrets that will thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal.
Dog Day Afternoon - 8.2/10
The robbery should have taken 10 minutes. 4 hours later, the bank was like a circus sideshow. 8 hours later, it was the hottest thing on live T.V. 12 hours later, it was all history. And it’s all true
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – 8.1/10
Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash.
Snatch – 8.2/10
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
Reservoir Dogs – 8.4/10
Seven total strangers team up for the perfect crime. They don’t know each other’s name. But they’ve got each other’s color.
Catch Me If You Can – 7.7/10
A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.
Heat – 8.3/10
A Los Angeles crime saga, “Heat” focuses on the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law – one a detective; the other a thief.
Matchstick Men – 7.4/10
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist’s teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – 7.0/10
Lawrence and Freddie are con-men; big-time and small time respectively. They unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this town (on the French Mediterranean coast) aint big enough for the two of them. They agree to a “loser leaves” bet. The bet brings out the best/worse in the two.
The Spanish Prisoner – 7.3/10
An employee of a corporation with a lucrative secret process is tempted to betray it. But there’s more to it than that.
21 – 6.8/10
“21″ is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.
Ocean’s Eleven – 7.0/10
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices come together to pull off the most daring heist Las Vegas has ever known… 11 men, 3 casinos, 150 million dollars, 1 chance to pull it off.
Ocean’s Twelve – 6.0/10
Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull off three major European heists in this sequel to Ocean’s 11.
Ocean’s Thirteen – 7.0/10
Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for a third heist, after casino owner Willy Bank double-crosses one of the original eleven, Reuben Tishkoff.
The Italian Job – 6.9/10
A group of thieves plan to pull of the heist of their lives by creating Los Angeles largest traffic jam ever.
Note:
This is in no way a complete list. I’ve yet to see many good movies so I will keep adding to it whenever I come across a good one. If you know of any good con movies I’ve missed, leave a comment.
Yea, I know it’s 16, but 16 isn’t as SEO friendly as 10 
October 20th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Dog Day Afternoon sounds interesting. Going to check it out.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:53 am
How could you miss off the greatest con movie of all time, The Sting
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:06 am
How on earth do you miss The Sting in a list like this?
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 am
hey, i found
February 14th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Sting should come first in the list
February 14th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Added it to the top of the list. Thanks for the recommendation.
February 17th, 2010 at 4:09 am
Can’t believe The Grifters wasn’t on the list! For something new try The Brothers Bloom. A great con flick!
February 20th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
I liked… this genre a lot.. these arent exactly con movies. but worth a watch if u like twists..
The usual Suspects
The illusionist
The prestige..
February 20th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Yep. Have seen all three. Great movies.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
awesome list
but wud say snatch is not so good and danny’s twelve is bore in front of its prequel
February 21st, 2010 at 12:15 am
+1 to The Usual Suspects
February 21st, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Snatch is not exactly a con movie, but it’s one of my all time favorites. Yea, Ocean’s 12 sucked. 13 was good though.
March 21st, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Lets not forget ‘Housesitter’ with Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin. Con artist Gwen moves into Newton’s empty house without his knowledge, and begins setting up house posing as his new wife. A great romantic con film thats very funny and Thoroughly entertaining.
Others in my list include: Paper moon, Nine Queens, Grifters, Revolver, Confidence, Matchstick men, Flim-flam man and Diggstown to name just a few.
April 12th, 2010 at 3:26 am
Wild Things (1998) – it’s known for that other “thing”, but anyone who has watched it knows even without that “thing”, this movie keeps you guessing who’s what, and even the end credits make you go, “OH! That’s what happened!”
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) – definitely one of my favorites, this one is so sly and suave it should be in any Con/Heist list.
The Italian Job (2003) – more of a heist movie, really, but this one just keeps you well entertained for its witty humor as well as eye-candy.
May 14th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Lucky Number Slevin????????? Wheres it at???
May 26th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Catch me if you can shud cum 1st though…..neway, gud list
June 11th, 2010 at 4:39 am
David Mamet is considred the best writer (con-man genre) ever, while the SPANISH PRISONER is a good of example of this, I highly reccomend THE HOUSE OF GAMES and “HEIST” you won’t be disappointed!
June 11th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Sorry about my spelling on last post! LOL. If anybody reading these blogs enjoys David Mamet’s work obviously I would have to add GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, but there are two other less known films I’d like to mention: “SPARTAN” starring Val Kilmer and “REDBELT” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor…….also footnote: I failed to mention that Joe Montegna & Linday Crouse co-star in “HOUSE OF GAMES” and Gene Hackman & Danny DeVito co-star in “HEIST” I always enjoy introducing little known “GEMS” to people who love movies as much as I do! Thanks.
June 18th, 2010 at 8:33 am
I noticed that no one has mentioned ” Nine Queens ” in Spanish it is ” Nueve Reinas ” One of the best foreign con movies ever made IMHO.
June 18th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
im still amazed today by what ferris bueller did hahaha
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:46 am
What the spanish prisoner is the best con movie ever made…..followed by the usual suspects…..and heist…..
August 7th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
A classic 1973 B/W movie ‘Paper Moon’
‘Shawshank Redemption’
I started getting interested in these con movies when we discovered we had one in the family who conned us for 10 years. Luckily not on the financial front.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:22 am
This film never bored me.
September 24th, 2010 at 12:32 am
hmm am i the only one who say thanks?
October 6th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Con Air 1997
November 9th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
confidence
house of games
shades
November 9th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
also nine queens…must watch
January 17th, 2011 at 7:56 am
Nice list! Here’s a few more for those that like the “con” genera.
A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) Henry Fonda
Confidence (2003) Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz
Criminal (2004) John C. Reilly (Remake of Nine Queens)
Diggstown (1992) James Woods, Louis Gossett Jr.
Heartbreakers (2001) Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sigourney Weaver
House of Games (1987) Joe Mantegna
Leap of Faith (1992) Steve Martin, Liam Neeson
Lucky Number Slevin (2006) Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis
Maverick (1994) Mel Gibson
Paper Moon (1973) Ryan O’Neal
Shade (2003) Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone
The Big Bounce (1969) Ryan O’Neal
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) Eddie Murphy
The Grifters (1990) John Cusack
The Sting II (1983) Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis
Trading Places (1983) Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd
TV Shows:
Leverage (2008) USA
White Collar (2009) USA
Hustle (2004) UK
The Real Hustle (2006) UK. This is more of a hidden camera/reality show.
February 25th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
You have no idea what a con movie means, do you?
Such an idiot…
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June 17th, 2011 at 7:42 pm
u havent mentioned one of the best con movies ever made
nine queens
September 8th, 2011 at 5:23 am
Confidence (2003) Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz
Nine Queens/Criminal (2004)
House of Games (1987) Joe Mantegna
Shade (2003)
The Grifters (1990) John Cusack
The Sting II (1983) Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis
In that order. Everything else sux. Those that are mentioned are either NOT con movies or they just SUCK at being a con movie….. The spanish prisoner?? PUH LEASE. That movie was so boring and so not a “i never saw that coming” flick that calling it a con movie is absurd
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November 10th, 2011 at 12:08 am
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