Matchstick Men

"Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat."

2003 1h 56m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 2,067

ComedyDramaCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat.”

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Cast

Nicolas Cage
Roy Waller
Sam Rockwell
Frank Mercer
Alison Lohman
Angela
Bruce Altman
Dr. Klein
Bruce McGill
Chuck Frechette
Jenny O'Hara
Mrs. Schaffer
Steve Eastin
Mr. Schaffer
Beth Grant
Laundry Lady

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Nicholas Griffin, Ted Griffin, René Brar
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $62M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hans Zimmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ridley Scott directs. John Mathieson behind the camera. Hans Zimmer scores. Dody Dorn cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $62M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 23 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Hans Zimmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat.".
9IMDB entry: tt0325805 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "daughter", "based on novel or book", "parent child relationship", "con man".
11Released under 26 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: John Mathieson
Original score: Hans Zimmer
Editing: Dody Dorn
Production design: Tom Foden
Costume design: Michael Kaplan
Makeup / hair: Kristina Vogel
VFX supervisor: Sheena Duggal
Sound: Tom Lalley
Stunt coordinator: Eddie Yansick
Runtime: 116 min · 1h 56m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $62,000,000
Box office: $65,565,672
Return: 106% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Matchstick Men (2003)

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Ridley Scott

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-10-20
★ 7/10
You get what you give and (hopefully)... redemption I've heard good things about Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men", released in 2003, but was reluctant to give it a try since it was about two con-men. It's hard, after all, to care about the outcome of a story if its main characters are swindling scumbags who make their living by ripping others off. Let 'em be wiped off the face of the planet for all I care. But everyone universally praised the film and said it had a good ending that catches the viewer off guard, so I finally decided to check it out. Nicolas Cage's character, Roy, is crippled by obsessive-compulsion disorder, likely a physical consequence of the guilt of his criminal lifestyle, which he tries to justify ("I don't take money from people; they give it to me"). He sees a shrink and relies on meds to deal with his condition. Ultimately Roy and his partner (Sam Rockwell) happen upon a big score. At the same time his life is complicated but also blessed by the appearance of a 14 year-old daughter he never knew he had (alison Lohman). The story is good all the way through but the last act & epilogue in particular are worth the price of admission. I like how the movie emphasizes that love is more important than money, and more devastating to lose as well. And also that, if one truly has a worthy and noble heart, it will ultimately vomit out foolish, selfish and unnatural inclinations & actions. Redemption is always there, no matter how bad you are, but you have to want freedom enough to choose it and change. I don't want to say anymore because the less you know the better. The film runs two hours and was filmed in the Los Angeles/Anaheim/Venice areas. GRADE: B

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