The Grifters

The Grifters centres on Roy Dillon, a small-time con artist whose life is upended when his estranged mother, Lilly, re-enters it after years apart. Lilly works angles of her own, and Roy's girlfriend, Myra, turns out to have a past in the same trade. Both women want Roy as a partner, and their rivalry over him escalates as each pursues her own scheme. The film is based on the novel by Jim Thompson.

Stephen Frears directed, working from a screenplay by Donald E. Westlake. It was Frears's fifth film as director, following Dangerous Liaisons and preceding Hero. Anjelica Huston plays Lilly, John Cusack plays Roy and Annette Bening plays Myra. Martin Scorsese was among the producers.

Released in August 1990, the film took in roughly 13 million dollars worldwide against a modest production. On TMDB it holds a 6.5 rating from 496 votes, while critics rated it considerably higher, at 8 out of 10 from 47 reviews, a gap suggesting the film was better received by reviewers than by general audiences.