Film

Focus

Name: Focus
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2015
Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro

Con-artist caper

A glossy con-artist romance about a master grifter and his protégé who fall for each other, then collide years later when she returns as a rival player. It's stylish, fast-talking, and built on the pleasure of watching beautiful people execute intricate schemes. For anyone who loves watching smart characters outthink each other, with a side of sexual tension.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy slick, talky cons where the pleasure is watching a grifter's charm and timing do the work, with a flirtatious undercurrent that keeps the sparring lively.

Skip it if you want warmth or emotional stakes, since this stays cool and sleek, and its characters are more glossy surfaces than people you grow attached to.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 105 minutes and asks you to keep up with misdirection, tracking who is fooling whom as scenes shift.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Ocean's Eleven2001

The blueprint for heist-film fun: an all-star ensemble pulling off an impossible robbery with wit, charm, and choreographed precision. Pure pleasure in watching clever people work.

But The plot is almost secondary to the vibe; if you want genuine suspense and stakes, you might find it airless and self-satisfied.

Catch Me If You Can2002

A con artist and an FBI agent in a game of cat-and-mouse that's genuinely romantic in its way. Spielberg brings weight to the cat-and-mouse dynamic while keeping it charming.

But Slower and more grounded than Focus; if you want pure style and gloss, this legal drama might feel heavy-handed.

American Hustle2013

Con artists running a fake gambling operation with incredible energy, costumes, and double-crosses. Chaotic and sexy, with genuine emotional stakes underneath the hustle.

But Deliberately baroque and a little messy; some find the style-over-substance approach exhausting rather than exhilarating.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Focus

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Agatha Christie's Marple2004

Both are about intelligence as seduction: Nicky charms through misdirection; Marple disarms through apparent harmlessness. Each uses their perceived weakness as their greatest weapon.

Miss Marple solving crimes through her understanding of human nature and village gossip. Julia McKenzie brings warmth and surprising deadpan wit; the pleasure is watching someone older outwit everyone in the room.

But Cozily paced and genuinely concerned with psychological truth rather than spectacle. If you need constant visual momentum, it will feel quaint.

Now You See Me2013

A group of magicians pull off elaborate heists while staying one step ahead of an FBI agent. The same rhythm: spectacle, deception, and the thrill of watching impossible things unfold.

But The plot mechanics strain credibility even by heist-movie standards, and it loves its twists more than character development.

The Sting1973

Two grifters orchestrate an elaborate revenge con against a mobster. Redford and Newman have such ease with each other; it's a masterclass in charm being a weapon.

But Much longer than Focus and more interested in elaborate plotting than romantic tension; the pace feels deliberate.

Matchstick Men2003

Nicolas Cage as an obsessive con artist with OCD, working with his protégé and navigating a romantic connection. Psychologically richer than it initially seems, with genuine unease beneath the grift.

But Darker and more neurotic than Focus; if you want something sleek and fun, this ventures into genuine discomfort and sadness.

The Spanish Prisoner1997

A corporate employee gets pulled into what might be an elaborate con. Mamet's dialogue crackles; watching someone trapped in a web of deception unfold is genuinely tense and wry.

But Deliberately obscure and paranoid; you'll need to pay close attention and the emotional distance is cold.

Confidence2003

Con artists running games within games within games, with Dustin Hoffman as the impossible mark. Slick, playful, and technically impressive in how it keeps you guessing.

But Ultimately superficial; the pleasure is watching the mechanics tick, but there's not much underneath.

The Wolf of Wall Street2013

A charismatic con man building an empire through deception and charm. DiCaprio is magnetic; watching his rise before the inevitable fall is compulsive viewing.

But Three and a half hours of excess, degradation, and moral decay. It doesn't judge its protagonist as harshly as some think, and the energy can feel punishing.

Branded2012

Both films argue that reality is negotiable if you understand how people see. Focus assumes the con is fun; Branded asks what happens when manipulation becomes total.

A advertising executive realizes he can use corporate manipulation to change reality. Visually hallucinatory, genuinely strange, and obsessed with how image and perception become truth.

But Wildly ambitious and uneven; some sequences soar, others clang. It will frustrate as much as it fascinates.