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The Imposter

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The Imposter

R

Released Jul 13, 2012

1h 35m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

118 Reviews

78%

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50,000+ Ratings

Filmmaker Bart Layton chronicles the tale of Frederic Bourdin, a con artist who seemingly tricked a Texas family into believing he was a relative who disappeared years earlier.

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Critics Consensus

Despite its true-crime trappings, The Imposter is an utterly gripping and sometimes heartbreaking documentary thriller cleverly told with narrative flair.

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Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

Director Bart Layton pieces together a story you wouldn't believe if it wasn't true.

Sep 19, 2018

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Tom Charity

Sight & Sound

More than anything it's Layton's storytelling acumen that impresses - the movie unfolds like a psychological thriller, and in the second half effects a chilling twist on its own inherent implausibility.

Aug 30, 2017

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

In the annals of forged identity flicks, this is a towering Everest, dwarfing the deceivers in the likes of Catch Me If You Can and F for Fake.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 12, 2012

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

Layton’s documentary lives up to the incredulous material.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 9, 2024

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Michael Leader

Den of Geek

If you’re one of the unfortunate souls who frequently forgo the documentary portion of your film diet, then you should chow down on The Imposter.

Rated: 4/5

May 3, 2024

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

The Imposter is skilfully assembled film, as gripping as it is chilling and more memorable than most thrillers.

Sep 27, 2021

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Faiz D

The Imposter is the best psychological thriller I've seen in recent memory. It is a truly bizarre and unbelievable story told in a compelling way.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Rodney G

Unforgettable. I watched this years ago and still think about it. Very well made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

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Jeffrey P

I know it is based on a true story but I had a hard time suspending disbelief. How could anyone think this is the same kid after less than four years? More than anything it is a look into the mind of a con artist, a place I don't want to know, I'm skeptical enough already. For me, it didn't really get interesting until I got curious and wanted to see how he got caught... and then a big twist almost happens, but not really. Sort of a real-life Usual Suspects kind of ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

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Audience Member

Proving once again that truth is stranger than fiction!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/23

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wiebe b

A chilling documentary that twists your mind. Who is the real imposter? The pathological liar or the family of the missing boy?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

This was a roller coaster . This was shocking . This was a story well told . This was like watching your favorite episode of UnSolVed MySterieS . Well Directed ! A must see .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Bart Layton

Director

Adam O'Brian

Frédéric Bourdin

Anna Ruben

Carey Gibson

Cathy Dresbach

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Bart Layton chronicles the tale of Frederic Bourdin, a con artist who seemingly tricked a Texas family into believing he was a relative who disappeared years earlier.

Director: Bart Layton
Producer: Dimitri Doganis
Distributor: Indomina
Production Co: A&E IndieFilms, 24 Seven Productions, Film 4
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 13, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $898.3K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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