Are you a fan of the thrilling cat-and-mouse game between a clever con artist and the determined FBI agent trying to catch them in the movie Catch Me If You Can? If you loved the excitement, suspense and charisma of Frank Abagnale Jr.’s unbelievable true story brought to life by Leonardo DiCaprio, then you’ll definitely want to check out these 20 other great movies that feature similar themes, tones and storylines.
Whether it’s the adrenaline rush of watching a team of thieves pull off an elaborate heist, the fascination of seeing how a master manipulator cons their marks, or the fun of a stylish crime caper with an all-star ensemble cast, these films are sure to scratch that itch if you’re looking for more entertaining crime dramas and thrillers like Catch Me If You Can. So let’s dive in and explore the best movies to add to your watchlist!
1. Now You See Me (2013)
Now You See Me is a slick, fast-paced heist thriller with a unique magic twist. The story follows “The Four Horsemen”, a team of illusionists who pull off a series of daring bank robberies during their performances, then shower their audiences with the money. This draws the attention of an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) and an Interpol detective (Mélanie Laurent) determined to prove the magicians are the ones behind the crimes.
With an all-star cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman, Now You See Me is a fun, clever puzzle that keeps you guessing until the final reveal. It captures a similar cat-and-mouse dynamic between the authorities and a band of charming rogues as Catch Me If You Can. There are plenty of slick visuals, misdirects, and magic acts to dazzle you along the way.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio in another true story about a real-life con man – the infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who made millions in the 1990s through his corrupt brokerage firm by defrauding investors.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, this wild, outrageous black comedy follows Belfort’s meteoric rise to wealth and status as he indulges in every possible excess and vice along the way. But his crimes and addictions eventually catch up with him as the FBI starts closing in.
Like Catch Me If You Can, it’s a rise-and-fall story of a charismatic criminal living the high life while evading the law. DiCaprio’s incredible performance as the shameless, debauched Belfort is both mesmerizing and horrifying to watch. The Wolf of Wall Street is a much raunchier, more explicit film, but it captures that same thrill of a con artist pulling off the ultimate scam.
3. American Hustle (2013)
American Hustle is a stylish 1970s-set crime dramedy very loosely based on the real-life ABSCAM sting operation. Christian Bale and Amy Adams star as a pair of con artists forced to work with an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) to entrap corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey (Jeremy Renner).
Complicating matters is the wife of Bale’s character (Jennifer Lawrence), who could derail the whole con. It’s a twisty, funny, unpredictable story with an amazing ensemble cast clearly having a blast in their over-the-top ’70s costumes and hairstyles.
Like Catch Me If You Can, American Hustle has a great sense of time and place, charismatic performances, and a light touch even as it tells a story of crime and deception. It’s a fun, refreshingly original take on the con artist genre.
4. Catch That Kid (2004)
Catch That Kid is like a tween version of Catch Me If You Can. A 12-year-old girl named Maddy (Kristen Stewart) plans an elaborate bank heist with her two best friends to get money for her father’s life-saving surgery.
It’s a cute, clever family adventure with a fun young cast (including Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu) as the pint-sized thieves outwitting the adults with their Mission: Impossible-style schemes. While it’s much more lighthearted and aimed at kids, Catch That Kid has a similar “root for the lovable outlaws” vibe as Catch Me If You Can.
5. Matchstick Men (2003)
Matchstick Men stars Nicolas Cage as Roy, a con man with OCD whose structured life is turned upside down when the teenage daughter he never knew (Alison Lohman) suddenly shows up on his doorstep.
Cage’s partner and protégé (Sam Rockwell) thinks the girl could be useful for their latest long con targeting a wealthy businessman. But as Roy gets to know his daughter and starts feeling guilty, the question becomes: is he being conned himself?
It’s a funny, twisty, poignant crime dramedy with an excellent performance by Cage and a surprise ending. The family angle and coming-of-age story has some parallels to Catch Me If You Can. If you like stories about con men whose personal lives complicate their grifting, check this one out.
6. Duplicity (2009)
Duplicity is a romantic spy caper starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts as two former government agents now working as corporate spies on opposite sides. They conspire to pull off a complicated con against their respective employers, but their romantic history complicates matters, especially once their suspicions and old rivalries resurface.
Written and directed by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, the Bourne movies), Duplicity is a smart, sexy, twist-filled puzzle that keeps you constantly guessing who’s playing who. The chemistry between Owen and Roberts as the feuding spies is fantastic.
Like Catch Me If You Can, it’s a fun, globe-trotting caper that makes the audience root for a pair of charming liars to pull off their ultimate scam.
7. 21 (2008)
21 stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, a brilliant MIT student who joins a secret group of card counters trained by their math professor (Kevin Spacey) to make big money at blackjack tables in Las Vegas. It’s all just a means to pay for Harvard Medical School at first. But Ben gets seduced by the glamorous lifestyle and his growing attraction to his beautiful teammate (Kate Bosworth).
Loosely based on a true story, 21 is a slick, entertaining thriller that makes the art of card counting look incredibly cool and sexy…at least until Ben’s greed puts him at odds with a brutal casino enforcer (Laurence Fishburne) determined to stop them.
It’s got a similar vibe to Catch Me If You Can – a smart but naive young man getting in over his head in the world of high-stakes crime and deception. Plus it has a great cast and some very fun Vegas scenes.
8. Focus (2015)
Focus stars Will Smith as Nicky, a veteran con man who takes a beautiful young grifter named Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wing and trains her in the art of pickpocketing and deception. The two become partners in crime and in love, until Nicky abruptly breaks it off.
Three years later, Nicky is in the middle of his biggest con yet in Buenos Aires when Jess unexpectedly appears, throwing off his game as he no longer knows who he can trust.
It’s a sleek, sexy, globe-trotting caper with plenty of clever cons, double-crosses and plot twists to keep you guessing. The chemistry between Smith and Robbie is electric, and their characters’ mix of rivalry and romance has shades of Catch Me If You Can. If you want to see the student become the master, Focus is a fun ride.
9. Sneakers (1992)
Sneakers is a smart, funny heist movie with a fantastic cast including Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell and David Strathairn. Redford plays Martin, the leader of a misfit team of hackers and thieves who test security systems for banks and businesses.
When the NSA blackmails them into stealing a top secret black box, Martin and his team get drawn into a dangerous world of government secrets and rogue spies, forcing them to pull off their most impossible mission yet.
It’s got a playful, retro-cool early ’90s vibe but still feels fresh today thanks to the great performances and whip-smart dialogue. Like Catch Me If You Can, Sneakers makes high-tech crime capers look incredibly fun and stylish. It’s a perfect blend of laughs and suspense.
10. The Brothers Bloom (2008)
The Brothers Bloom stars Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as two con artist brothers who specialize in elaborate storytelling ruses to swindle millionaires. For their final job before retirement, they target a beautiful, eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz). But when the younger brother (Brody) falls for their mark, he threatens to derail their most ambitious con yet.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper), The Brothers Bloom is a quirky, stylish, utterly charming caper that’s equal parts comedy, romance, and crime thriller. The global adventure has a storybook feel, and the cast is wonderful together.
Like Catch Me If You Can, The Brothers Bloom makes you fall in love with its con artist antiheroes, hoping they can pull off their one last big score and ride off into the sunset. It’s a gem of an indie movie that deserves to be discovered.
11. Molly’s Game (2017)
Molly’s Game is based on the fascinating true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic-level skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker games for Hollywood stars, business tycoons and the Russian mob before becoming an FBI target.
Jessica Chastain gives an incredible performance as the ambitious, charismatic Molly who builds an underground poker empire in LA and New York. But her players’ addictions and shady connections eventually catch up with her, leading to her arrest by the FBI.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game is a smart, riveting crime drama full of great dialogue and a deep dive into the intriguing world of underground gambling. Like Catch Me If You Can, it’s a rise-and-fall story of a real-life antihero who flew too close to the sun in pursuit of wealth and success.
12. Sharper (2023)
Sharper is a sleek, twisty thriller about a group of con artists targeting a billionaire and his naive son in an elaborate scheme. Julianne Moore stars as the femme fatale who seduces the son (Justice Smith), while Sebastian Stan plays her partner in crime with mysterious motives of his own.
As the long con unfolds through multiple perspectives and timelines, the plot gets more and more intricate, building to a shocking final reveal. It’s a movie that constantly keeps you guessing about who is conning who and where the story is going next.
Sharper has some similarities to Catch Me If You Can in depicting an intricate con artist scheme and a cat-and-mouse game of wits. It’s a fun, surprising crime thriller with an excellent cast and high style.
13. The Good Liar (2019)
The Good Liar stars Ian McKellen as Roy, a veteran British con man who sets his sights on his latest mark: a wealthy widow named Betty (Helen Mirren) he meets online. Roy thinks he’s found an easy target for his usual sweetheart scam as he worms his way into Betty’s life and home.
But Betty is far more perceptive and mysterious than she appears, and soon Roy finds the tables have turned as dark secrets from their pasts come to light, culminating in a tense final confrontation.
It’s a smart, suspenseful cat-and-mouse thriller anchored by two acting legends at the top of their game. The Good Liar keeps you constantly off balance, making you question what’s real and what’s deception until the very end.
Like Catch Me If You Can, it’s a gripping character study of a lifelong con artist who may have finally met his match. If you like movies about dangerous mind games, this is a must-watch.
14. Nine Queens (2000)
Nine Queens is an Argentinian crime thriller about two small-time grifters, the veteran Marcos (Ricardo Darín) and the younger Juan (Gastón Pauls), who team up to sell a forged set of valuable rare stamps called the Nine Queens.
Their scheme brings them into the orbit of a shady cast of characters, leading to a complex web of lies, betrayal and unexpected twists. It’s a low-budget but extremely cleverly plotted and well-acted film that keeps you guessing who’s conning who right up to the final shot.
Nine Queens was a huge hit in Argentina that got remade in the US as Criminal in 2004. But the original is the better version. Like Catch Me If You Can, Nine Queens draws you into the world of small-time scammers and makes you invest in their ultimate fate, with an ending that will leave your head spinning.
15. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a classic con artist comedy starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine as two rival scam artists competing to swindle an heiress in the French Riviera. Martin plays the small-time crook Freddy Benson, while Caine is the suave and sophisticated Lawrence Jamieson.
After butting heads, they make a bet: the first one to scam $50,000 out of a young American target (Glenne Headly) wins, and the other has to leave town. But their contest gets complicated as they both hilariously sabotage each other’s cons.
It’s a razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud funny farce with two comedy legends at their absolute peak. The cons get more and more ridiculous, and there are some priceless scenes of Martin and Caine trying to one-up each other.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels may be lighter and sillier than Catch Me If You Can, but it’s got the same fun, breezy tone, gorgeous locations, and a pair of irresistible charming scoundrels you can’t help but root for.
16. The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
The Spanish Prisoner is a neo-noir puzzle film written and directed by David Mamet. Campbell Scott stars as Joe Ross, a naive businessman who develops a “process” that stands to make his company a fortune. But before he cashes in, Joe starts to suspect that his boss and a mysterious new friend (Steve Martin) are plotting to cut him out.
As he falls deeper into a paranoid rabbit hole, the question becomes: is it all in Joe’s head or is he the target of an elaborate con? Mamet keeps you constantly off balance with a plot that’s like a magic trick, full of slights of hand and misdirection.
The Spanish Prisoner has a cool, retro vibe that recalls classic Hitchcock thrillers, with an ending that forces you to rethink everything that came before. Like Catch Me If You Can, it’s a smart, suspenseful slow burn that builds to a shocking climax. The Spanish Prisoner is an underrated ’90s gem that will keep you guessing.
17. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
The Talented Mr. Ripley stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a master of deception who cons his way into the inner circle of a wealthy playboy named Dickie (Jude Law) in 1950s Italy. As Tom grows obsessed with Dickie’s glamorous lifestyle, his lies and manipulations take a murderous turn.
Directed by Anthony Minghella, it’s a lush, gripping psychological thriller with an incredible cast that also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Damon is both charming and chilling as the titular antihero, a poor nobody so desperate to be somebody that he’s willing to kill for it.
Like Catch Me If You Can, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a fascinating character study of a young con artist who gets in way over his head. But where Frank Abagnale Jr. uses his talents mostly for harmless fun, Tom Ripley’s deceptions are much darker and deadlier.
18. Inception (2010)
Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, a professional thief who specializes in stealing corporate secrets through a very unique method: “inception”, or planting an idea in someone’s subconscious mind while they’re dreaming. For his final job, Cobb assembles a team for his most impossible mission yet – not to steal an idea, but to plant one.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception is a mind-bending sci-fi heist thriller that takes place largely within dreams. The visuals are astonishing, the plot is endlessly complex, and the action sequences defy the laws of physics. It’s a puzzle box of a film that demands repeat viewings.
While the plot of Inception is far more fantastical than Catch Me If You Can, it shares a lot of the same DNA. There’s the team of skilled thieves, the intricate plan, the race against the clock, and of course DiCaprio as the haunted mastermind. If you want to see a different kind of con, Inception is a trip worth taking.
19. Inside Man (2006)
Inside Man stars Clive Owen as the leader of a group of bank robbers who take hostages and lock themselves inside a Wall Street bank. Denzel Washington plays the NYPD detective trying to negotiate with them and figure out their true agenda, while Jodie Foster is a shadowy power broker hired to protect the bank’s secrets.
Directed by Spike Lee, Inside Man is a smart, stylish thriller that’s less about the heist itself and more about the tense showdown between cops and robbers. The plot unfolds in non-chronological order, jumping back and forth in time to slowly reveal everyone’s hidden motives.
Like Catch Me If You Can, Inside Man is a cat-and-mouse game where nothing is quite as it seems. It’s a slick, well-acted crime drama with plenty of surprises up its sleeve.
20. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Okay, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is not a crime movie. There are no con artists or FBI agents or elaborate heists. But hear me out – this classic ’80s comedy has more in common with Catch Me If You Can than you might think.
Like Frank Abagnale Jr., Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is a charming, resourceful teenager who’s always one step ahead of the adults. He’s a master manipulator who talks his way out of every situation, whether it’s playing hooky from school or convincing the maitre d’ at a fancy restaurant that he’s the sausage king of Chicago.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a breezy, feel-good adventure about the joys of living life to the fullest and seizing the day. It’s got a mischievous spirit and a sly sense of humor that feels very similar to Catch Me If You Can.
So there you have it – 20 great movies to check out if you’re a fan of Catch Me If You Can. Whether you’re in the mood for a slick heist thriller, a twisty con artist puzzle, or a breezy teen comedy, there’s something on this list for every kind of Catch Me If You Can fan.
These films all capture a similar spirit – the thrill of the con, the fun of the chase, the joy of watching a charming rogue outsmart the system. They’ll keep you guessing and rooting for the bad guy, even as the law closes in.
So what are you waiting for? Grab some popcorn, settle in, and enjoy these clever, exciting cinematic cons. And remember – if you get caught, just tell them Frank Abagnale Jr. sent you.
