The Grifters

Right now you can watch The Grifters in the US on Hoopla — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch Anjelica Huston work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Put it on tonight on Hoopla and see for yourself.

The Grifters is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives The Grifters its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. A small-time conman has his loyalties torn between his estranged mother and his new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play. Anjelica Huston and John Cusack lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1990. The Grifters is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, The Grifters delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Anjelica Huston's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.