Movie · 2000 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 1h 54m · R · Spanish
Curator score: 8.9/10 (158.6K ratings)
If you think you've got it figured out... you've been conned.
Overview
Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".
Ratings
Curator score: 8.9/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Letterboxd: 4.14/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Metacritic: 80
TMDB: 7.8/10
Director
Fabián Bielinsky
Production
Patagonik, FX Sound, Industrias Audiovisuales Argentinas S.A., J.Z. & Asociados, Kodak Argentina S.A., INCAA
Cast
Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, Leticia Brédice, Gabo Correa, Pochi Ducasse, Jorge Noya, María Mercedes Villagra, Ignasi Abadal, Carlos Lanari, Tomás Fonzi, Alejandro Awada, Antonio Ugo, Elsa Berenguer, Ricardo Díaz Mourelle, Gabriel Molinelli, Roly Serrano, Claudio Rissi, Oscar Núñez, Luis Armesto, Amancay Espíndola
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, fast-moving con-game thriller with excellent chemistry, escalating double-crosses, and a distinctly Argentine sense of wit and grit. It works both as a clever puzzle and as a character study of opportunists trapped by their own hustle.
Best for
fans of twisty crime capers
viewers who like con artists and double-crosses
people who enjoy tense, dialogue-driven thrillers
fans of late-90s/early-2000s international cinema
Skip if
you want action-heavy crime movies
you dislike morally slippery protagonists
you prefer mysteries that play fair in a very literal way
you need glossy Hollywood production values
Overview
Nine Queens is one of the great modern con films because it never treats the scam as the whole point. The mechanics are smart and satisfying, but the real pleasure comes from watching two hustlers size each other up, improvise, and reveal just enough of themselves to make every turn feel human as well as strategic.
Worth noting
Fabián Bielinsky keeps the film lean and propulsive, with a street-level realism that makes the cons feel plausible even when the plot is constantly shifting under your feet. Ricardo Darín anchors it with easy charisma, and the movie’s humor is dry, local, and sharp without undercutting the tension.
Bottom line
What gives it lasting power is how specifically it captures a moment and a place while still playing as a universal story about trust, greed, and performance. It’s clever without being smug, and its final stretch lands because the film has earned both the surprise and the emotional sting.
Top Letterboxd reviews
sofi (5★) · 3903 likes
que tu novio idee un plan que te ayude a recuperar la plata que te robó tu hermano por medio de una estafa maestra me parece lo más romántico del universo no aspiro a menos
Azul (5★) · 3359 likes
HOLLYWOOD SOS UNA TERRIBLE PUTA Y TUS PELICULAS SON INSULSAS O NO TE ACORDAS CUANDO EL CINE ARGENTINO TE LLENABA EL CULO DE LECHE
joaquin (4★) · 2235 likes
con esta pelicula me di cuenta de dos cosas:
1: que mal sonido tienen las películas argentinas no entendía ni mi propio idioma
2: como se devaluó todo cuando enfocaron un billete de $5 me largué a llorar
gigi (5★) · 1983 likes
si yo fuera cajera me harian la uruguaya 10 veces al dia
iara · 1331 likes
si estaba dispuesto a prostituir a su propia hermana se merecia que lo caguen
1987 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 1h 42m · R · Curator 8.3/10 (25.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
One of the smartest films ever made about manipulation, staged trust, and the psychology of the hustle.