Buzz
In a time of rampant fake news and misinformation, it's oddly reassuring that we can still find moments of surprise or even amusement in stories about lies. Enter George Santos, a freshman Congressman from Long Island. This Republican politician appears incapable of telling the truth about anything.
Santos has lied (or at the very least, been unable or unwilling to verify details about) his education, his Jewish heritage (including a claimed escape from the Holocaust), his financial status, his connections to victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, his involvement in various jobs and charities, his marital status, and even the story of his mother’s death during the 9/11 attacks (which is confusing since she seems to have died in 2016 instead). It’s encouraging that we can still feel outraged by this type of behavior, though it's disappointing that the only consequence so far is public ridicule. Santos is hardly the first politician to get away with wild, easily debunked lies.
Nevertheless, this particular individual remains unexposed, at least for now, and it’s worth celebrating by watching films that explore compulsive liars who use their deception for entertainment and gain.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
While Patricia Highsmith’s novel introduced a more sinister sociopath, Anthony Minghella’s film adaptation adds a layer of empathy without absolving Matt Damon’s portrayal of Tom Ripley. Ripley is a man who becomes increasingly consumed by his own lies: Initially mistaken for a Princeton graduate due to a borrowed jacket, he’s invited by the wealthy father of the aimless Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) to follow his son to Italy, with all expenses paid. Who could resist such an offer? Ripley, using his natural gift for deception and his growing obsession with Dickie (he both desires him and wishes to be him), becomes trapped in a web of lies that keeps growing until murder feels like the only way out.
Where to stream: Showtime, Fubo
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Richard Nixon, the patron saint of political deception, has been a prominent figure in both fictional films and docudramas, and remains just as elusive in death as he was in life. Director Ron Howard takes a unique approach by focusing on the 1977 televised interviews between Nixon (Frank Langella) and David Frost (Michael Sheen). Initially seen as a lightweight, Nixon and his team thought they could manipulate Frost to shape the narrative around the Watergate cover-up and his resignation. However, Nixon’s overwhelming need to confess ultimately seals the fate of his legacy. His belief in his own cleverness and his yearning for redemption exposes everything.
Where to stream: Digital rental
Dick (1999)
Continuing with the Nixon theme, Dick turns the Watergate scandal into a teen comedy, featuring Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams as best friends who accidentally stumble into the break-in without realizing the gravity of their involvement. As they become entangled in the world of politics, they initially see the president (played by a perfect Dan Hedaya) as a tough but likable father figure. Over time, they come to realize that he’s not all that he seems. The film serves as a metaphor for the nation’s often exaggerated coming-of-age during that time, suggesting that the pure honesty of Betsy and Arlene—down to their extreme naivety—would be more than a match for Nixon’s greed and corruption.
Where to stream: Digital rental
Catch Me if You Can (2002)
Now let's dive into the more glamorous side of compulsive lying: Steven Spielberg’s film brings to life the mostly true story of Frank Abagnale, a master con artist who went from a small-time trickster to pretending to be a Pan Am pilot (and even a doctor, among other roles), while forging payroll checks worth millions. It’s unclear whether the real Abagnale exaggerated in his memoir, and this ambiguity works well for the plot. While being pursued by a determined FBI agent (played by Tom Hanks), Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Abagnale enjoys his high-flying lifestyle, filled with fun and adventure.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Great Imposter (1961)
In this story, Tony Curtis portrays a fictionalized version of the real-life con artist and imposter Ferdinand Waldo Demara (who, unlike many professional liars, seemed to lie purely for fun). Demara’s many impersonations included, but were not limited to: a surgeon, a sheriff’s deputy, an assistant prison warden, a psychologist, a hospital orderly, a lawyer, a Benedictine monk, a Trappist monk, a cancer researcher, and a teacher. Curtis brings these roles to life with a delightful comic touch. This isn't a tale about someone getting their comeuppance, and the film ends with a twist, reinforcing the notion that lying for amusement might be better than doing so for profit.
Where to stream: The Roku Channel
The Lady Eve (1941)
It’s hard to dislike Barbara Stanwyck’s Jean Harrington (aka Lady Eve Sidwich), even though she begins as a con artist working alongside her card shark father to scam Henry Fonda’s nerdy, snake expert, Hopsie Pike. In true screwball comedy fashion, she even goes as far as to create a doppelgänger and arrange a fake marriage before genuinely falling in love with Pike. Should she be in jail? Probably… but her charm makes it easy to forgive her.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel
Double Indemnity (1944)
Two very different portrayals by Barbara Stanwyck stand in for the femme fatale genre of classic cinema. In The Lady Eve, she plays a much lighter, more comedic version of a con artist, but in this film, she is Phyllis Dietrichson, a manipulative woman who entices the seemingly upright insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) into a plot to kill her husband for the insurance payout. However, the story isn’t as simple as it seems—Dietrichson has multiple double-crosses in play, and even by the end, it’s unclear what was real between her and Neff and what was simply a lie.
Where to stream: Digital rental
What’s Up, Doc (1972)
Barbra Streisand’s unforgettable portrayal of Judy Maxwell in this neo-screwball comedy shows her as a chaotic whirlwind of both truth and lies. With her unconventional education and wild imagination, she flips between both to create maximum trickster energy in every scene. One memorable moment involves her impersonating the fiancée of Ryan O'Neal’s Howard Bannister, so convincingly that she manages to outshine the real Eunice (Madeline Kahn) and makes Howard question his romantic choices. Unlike most films in this genre, Peter Bogdanovich’s movie suggests that, sometimes, lying can be far more entertaining than telling the truth. How you interpret this idea is entirely up to you.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The entirety of The Usual Suspects unfolds as one massive flashback, relayed to U.S. Customs agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) by the seemingly small-time crook ‘Verbal’ Kint (Kevin Spacey, who, alongside director Bryan Singer, might have some experience with deception). The film’s finale throws everything we’ve witnessed into doubt; it's unclear whether Kint was lying compulsively or merely to cover up his own actions, but one thing is certain—he’s exceptionally skilled at it.
Where to stream: Showtime, Fubo
Shattered Glass (2003)
Hayden Christensen portrays Stephen Glass, a real-life journalist for the New Republic whose career plummeted when it was revealed that most of his stories were either embellished or entirely fabricated. The film tracks Glass's dramatic fall, with Christensen delivering a frantic performance as someone desperately trying to cover up his lies with even more lies.
Where to stream: Tubi, Hoopla
Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Aaron Eckhart gives a masterful performance as a slick tobacco lobbyist leading a double life—spinning the truth, and often outright fabricating facts, on behalf of the major tobacco companies, all while trying to maintain his image as a role model to his son. This over-the-top satire may seem exaggerated, but it’s not far from the kind of corporate spin we see daily in the real world. The family dynamic isn’t there to soften Eckhart’s character; instead, it highlights the duplicity of his actions.
Where to stream: Starz
The Departed (2006)
Almost every character in The Departed (a remake of the acclaimed Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs) is constantly lying. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a cop from South Boston who goes undercover in a criminal syndicate, only to find that a criminal (Matt Damon’s Colin Sullivan) has infiltrated the police force. Both are entrenched in webs of lies, each pretending to be something they are not—Costigan engaging in criminal activity as part of his cover—while each knows the other must be exposed.
Where to stream: TNT, TBS, truTV
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Stanley Kubrick’s film doesn’t cast judgment on Ryan O’Neal’s character Barry Lyndon, nor does it need to. Lyndon is a morally ambiguous character whose life is shaped largely by circumstances beyond his control. Unlike other compulsive liars, he’s more of a man who bends the truth when it serves his purposes. He’s content to lie when it’s the simplest way to get what he wants, yet he’s not above telling the truth when it benefits him (such as when he confesses a scheme to trap a spy directly to the spy). Lyndon’s relatability makes him one of the most fascinating, albeit flawed, characters in cinema.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Woman Who Wasn’t There (2012)
This documentary, directed by Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr., originally focused on survivors of the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. The story centers on Tania Head, whose personal tale of survival made her a prominent spokesperson for other survivors. However, it was soon revealed that Head was never at the scene of the attacks, completely altering the direction of the film. Instead of focusing on survivors, the documentary shifts its focus to Head as a compulsive liar, exploring how she inserted herself into one of the most pivotal events in U.S. history.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, Vudu, Pluto, Plex
The Unknown Known (2013)
In Errol Morris’ documentary about Donald Rumsfeld, the former Secretary of Defense comes across as a figure with no capacity for introspection, unwilling to acknowledge the contradictions in his career. While Morris’ film captures the complexity of Rumsfeld’s role in politics, especially regarding the false narratives that contributed to the Iraq War, it never gives the sense that Rumsfeld is lying. Rather, he seems to have convinced himself of alternate versions of the truth, all the while dismissing any contradictions with empty jargon and catchphrases. While the film doesn’t offer resolution or catharsis, it provides a crucial look into the mindset of someone who can lie without remorse for decades.
Where to stream: Digital rental
