Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, an Israeli conman wooed women online then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now, some victims plan for payback.
The Tinder Swindler is a compelling Netflix documentary that captivated audiences with its almost unbelievable true-crime narrative. The plot is genuinely gripping — the escalating con and the victims' eventual fightback give it a satisfying narrative arc, earning an above-average score. However, the filmmaking craft (cinematography, talking-head interviews, reconstructions) is fairly standard for the streaming true-crime documentary format, keeping that category below average. The subjects speak for themselves rather than being 'actors,' so Acting is rated on the interviewees' screen presence, which is serviceable but unremarkable. Novelty is above average given the specific, audacious nature of the Shimon Hayut story and its social media dimension, though the documentary format itself is well-worn. The ending, where the victims turn the tables and achieve a degree of justice through media exposure, is satisfying and gives the film a stronger-than-usual conclusion for the genre.