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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #62 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View The Sting film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Two con artists plan an elaborate swindle against a powerful crime boss.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

After a street con brings deadly retaliation from crime boss Doyle Lonnegan, young grifter Johnny Hooker seeks help from veteran confidence man Henry Gondorff. Together they assemble specialists and design an elaborate deception aimed at Lonnegan himself.

Why it belongs

Through star chemistry, period texture, playful editing, and Scott Joplin's music, The Sting makes an elaborate confidence game effortlessly legible.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Hill and screenwriter David S. Ward reveal the con in deliberately timed stages, employing period detail, chapter cards, Marvin Hamlisch's ragtime arrangements, and Newman and Redford's relaxed chemistry to make deception unusually inviting and clear.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards7 wins1974 · official ceremony record ↗
Best Picture1974 · Tony Bill, Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips, Producersofficial ceremony record ↗Directing1974 · George Roy Hillofficial ceremony record ↗Writing (Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)1974 · David S. Wardofficial ceremony record ↗

Plus 4 additional wins

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFamilyFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250121AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.0
Engagement9.5
Ease9.4

English · PG
Narrative Feature
Mood: Funny & Lively