Matchstick Men

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Matchstick Men

PG-13

Released Sep 12, 2003

1h 56m

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

183 Reviews

74%

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100,000+ Ratings

Roy (Nicolas Cage), a depressed con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Frank (Sam Rockwell), his partner, find their line of work complicated by the arrival of Roy's teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela brings some spirit back into Roy's life, and some of his disorder symptoms seem to disappear. But when Angela wants to learn the family business, and Roy allows her to assist on a big scam concerning a businessmen (Bruce McGill), he reconsiders his parenting techniques.

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Critics Consensus

Breezy and well-acted, Matchstick Men focuses more on the characters than on the con.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Matchstick Men glides from comedy to suspense to poignance, arriving at a destination you might not suspect...Fun while it lasts, but it's a bit of a con job itself.

Mar 12, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

This is a movie about con games at every level.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 26, 2010

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Matchstick Men never really casts off its cloak of artificiality and calculation; its pleasures are minor, however distracting they may be.

Jul 7, 2008

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Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Matchstick Men -- a nice strong balance of laughter and melodrama that envelops you like A Summer Wind.

Nov 13, 2019

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Nicholas Cage gives his best performance since "Leaving Los Vegas" as con man Roy Waller in this sophisticated movie about familial responsibility, self-imposed barriers and the possibilities of a well executed long con.

Rated: A-

Jun 12, 2009

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Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

A cleverly planned switcheroo story in which the twist at the end is the knife in the back.

Oct 18, 2008

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Faiz D

One of Nicolas Cage's best films I've seen. It has a fantastic story and a brilliant ending!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Drew F

Nic Cage gives his best pure acting performance. Very well done plot twist too. Enjoyable film!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, os personagens sao fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

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Aaron C

What a great film loved the story and how it played out, Nicholas Cage was great and so was Alison Lohman.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/25

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Jon O

First Nicolas Cage knocks it out of the park as only he can do. His acting draws you in and keeps you there. While the story keeps you guessing who's conning who. The musical score is terrific with that big band sound! And Sinatra of course. Very entertaining ride!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Cage is a paranoid con man in this dark drama. He's reunited with his daughter and begins teaching her the art of the con.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/24

Full Review

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Ridley Scott

Director

Nicolas Cage

Roy

Sam Rockwell

Frank

Alison Lohman

Angela

Bruce Altman

Dr. Klein

Bruce McGill

Frechette

Out of Time

65%

58%

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Synopsis

Roy (Nicolas Cage), a depressed con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Frank (Sam Rockwell), his partner, find their line of work complicated by the arrival of Roy's teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela brings some spirit back into Roy's life, and some of his disorder symptoms seem to disappear. But when Angela wants to learn the family business, and Roy allows her to assist on a big scam concerning a businessmen (Bruce McGill), he reconsiders his parenting techniques.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Sean Bailey, Ted Griffin, Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Ted Griffin, Nicholas Griffin, Eric Garcia
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Scott Free Productions, Warner Brothers, LivePlanet, Saturn Films, Horsepower Entertainment, ImageMovers, Rickshaw Filmworks
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.9M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Stereo, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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