A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend--both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.
Director:
Stephen Frears
From metacritic.com
We played a round of "Pick Up or Ignore" with some classic "Better Call Saul" items and Nacho Varga himself.
Related News
-
Penelope Cruz movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include ‘Volver,’ ‘Vicky Christina Barcelona,’ ‘Nine’
27 August 2018 | Gold Derby -
Now on Blu-ray: eXistenZ & The Grifters From 101 Films Black Label
06 July 2018 | Screen Anarchy -
Exclusive Clip From 101 Films’ Black Label Release – ‘The Grifters’
22 May 2018 | The Hollywood News
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Grifters (1990)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Sure Thing
(1985)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Rob Reiner
Stars:
John Cusack,
Daphne Zuniga,
Anthony Edwards
Grosse Pointe Blank
(1997)
Action
|
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
George Armitage
Stars:
John Cusack,
Minnie Driver,
Dan Aykroyd
The Big Bet
(1985)
Comedy
Director:
Bert I. Gordon
Stars:
Lance Sloane,
Kim Evenson,
Sylvia Kristel
Home Movies
(1979)
Comedy
Director:
Brian De Palma
Stars:
Nancy Allen,
Mary Davenport,
Kirk Douglas
True Colors
(1991)
Drama
Director:
Herbert Ross
Stars:
John Cusack,
James Spader,
Imogen Stubbs
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Anjelica Huston | ... | Lilly Dillon | |
| John Cusack | ... | Roy Dillon | |
| Annette Bening | ... | Myra Langtry | |
| Jan Munroe | ... | Guy at Bar | |
 |
Robert Weems | ... | Racetrack Announcer |
| Stephen Tobolowsky | ... | Jeweler | |
| Jimmy Noonan | ... | Bartender | |
|
|
Richard Holden | ... | Cop |
| Henry Jones | ... | Simms | |
| Michael Laskin | ... | Irv | |
| Eddie Jones | ... | Mintz | |
| Sandy Baron | ... | Doctor | |
| Lou Hancock | ... | Nurse | |
| Gailard Sartain | ... | Joe | |
|
|
Noelle Harling | ... | Nurse Carol Flynn |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (87) »
Storyline
Lily works for a bookie, placing bets to change the odds at the track. When her son is hospitalized after an unsuccessful con job and resultant beating, she finds that even an absentee parent has feelings for her child. This causes her own job to go wrong as well. Each of them faces the down side of the grift. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords:
hidden money | femme fatale | mother son relationship | con | older woman younger man relationship |Taglines:
Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who's Conning Who?Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 January 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Ambiciones prohibidas See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$125,195, 21 January 1991, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$13,446,769Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Voice-over: Around the country the bookies pay off winners at track odds. It's dangerous when a long shot comes in. Unless you have somebody at the tracks to lower those odds.
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
At the end of the movie, when Lilly picks up the briefcase full of money to flee Roy's hotel room, several bills can be seen sticking out of the briefcase. However, in a previous shot, where she closed the briefcase and set it on the floor, these bills were not visible. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Voice-over: Around the country the bookies pay off winners at track odds. It's dangerous when a long shot comes in. Unless you have somebody at the tracks to lower those odds.
See more »
Contribute to This Page
Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Frears's 'The Grifters' is a bizarre noir-style disturbing thriller with dark undertones of themes such as despair, greed, incest and murder. Unlike most con thrillers, this one does not focus on tricks. Rather it focuses mainly on the characters. Lilly is in it big and she needs (or wants) money. Roy is frustrated and is in an ambivalent state. Myra, uses her weapon of seduction to have her way...including getting Roy back into the game. Then there's a fourth character, money. Which tangles them into a lethal web resulting in severely extreme consequences. It starts off a little slow as the three lead characters are introduced but the pace picks up in the proceedings. The twists and layers are well done as the viewers move back and forth into hating and liking the characters. The final sequence between Huston and Cusack is among the most unsettling scenes and it was brilliantly executed. Yet, 'The Grifters' is far from my favourite Frears film. I pretty much loved his other movies like 'High Fidelity', 'Dirty Pretty Things', 'Mrs. Hendersen Presents' and so on but I felt this movie lacked something even though I myself am a big sucker for weird movies. The three leads deliver solid performances. Cusack is finely restrained and quite intense. Bening is suitably perky, slutty and malicious. Huston is a knock out as she delivers a chilling performance. The score is quite low key (usually a piano track) except during dramatic sequences. The lighting has been well done. 'The Grifters' is intriguing and quite a departure from the usual con flick. In the end, it leaves an unsettling taste.