Matchstick Men

PG-13

Released Sep 12, 2003

1 hr. 56 min.

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

83%

184 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Eye C

What a performance by Nicolas Cage, wow.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

Full Review

Bunk M

Cage is a natural, and with Rockwell & Lohman's prodding, this story hangs in there until the end. You've got to recognize what a Cage & Rockwell adds here.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/23

Full Review

Pickatcu 1

I would easily try to rizz Alison lohman in this movie without a single doubt.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/01/23

Full Review

Gareth v

A clever con movie that is as much about the lives of the characters leading the sting as it is about the sting itself.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/18/23

Full Review

steve d

I found it uncomfortable but the twist is strong.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Robert Zemeckis
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
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Stereo, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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