Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), by Frank Oz

The Con Always Comes Back

• “Karma keeps receipts — usually signed by the quiet woman in the corner.” Clear, but delivered with a smug wink.

On the glittering French Riviera, two rival con artists compete to swindle a wealthy young woman, each convinced he is the smarter predator in the room. Their escalating games of deception spiral into humiliation, sabotage, and increasingly elaborate performances, until the final twist reveals that both men have been hopelessly outplayed from the very beginning.

Beneath the film’s champagne fizz, razor-sharp banter, and gleeful manipulation lies a sly moral truth: arrogance makes grifters easy targets, and karma often arrives smiling sweetly from the corner while quietly emptying your pockets.

Director: Frank Oz, 1988
Genre: Buddy Comedy, Caper, Farce, Comedy, Crime
Starring: Steve Martin | Michael Caine | Glenne Headly