12 Best Movies Like Catch Me If You Can Update 04/2024

movies like catch me if you can

It’s a sure sign you’re going to get a good laugh out of a lighthearted tale of deception when Frank Abagnale Jr., a 17-year-old college student, pretends to be a substitute teacher in a French class. Because of his newfound freedom as a result of his parent’s divorce, Frank flees from home and pursues what he now realizes he is good at: professional sleaze. Frank can take on the persona of any profession with ease, whether it’s an airline pilot or a lawyer.

Agent Carl Hanratty, who always seems to be one step ahead of the notorious fraudster, is hot on his tail. When it comes to Frank’s reputation, will Hanratty be able to put an end to it? The classic cat-and-mouse game has been popularized throughout the ages thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio’s charming portrayal of deceit and Tom Hanks’ ambivalent attitude towards his prisoner.

“Catch Me If You Can’s” USP is its vibe, which works wonders in making the film fun and easy to follow. With that being said, we’ve compiled a list of the best ‘Catch me if You Can’ substitute movies. Many of these films, such as ‘Catch Me if You Can,’ are available on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

1. Rogue Trader (1999)

Rogue Trader (1999)

Nick Leeson is a young Barings Bank employee who is passionate and goal-oriented. When Nick’s bosses offer him a higher-paying job in Jakarta, he accepts it without thinking about the consequences of his rash decision. With the help of a beautiful young woman he meets and marries, Nick has a successful year at the new location, despite breaking regulations.

He begins to incur significant losses in his organization’s second year of operation. When Nick suffers the tragic loss of his unborn child, it pushes him to commit corporate crimes that ultimately lead to his demise.

2. Boiler Room (2000)

When it comes to making a few extra dollars, college dropout Seth Davis runs an illegal casino out of his rented apartment. Because his father, a federal judge, disapproves of his illicit lifestyle, he must find another source of income. When he discovers the potential of stock brokerage, he jumps in with both feet, honing his sales skills and making a killing. Despite the fact that things appear to be going well, Seth begins to doubt the legitimacy of his new position after learning that his company has engaged in unfair business practices for some time.

As a result, Seth must face his inner demons once more, deciding whether to align himself with his father’s ideals of a noble pursuit or to continue down the path of greed and ambition. The film ‘Boiler Room’ is about more than just ethics and morality being muddled. Male privilege complicates father-son relationships, making success a burden and raising expectations suffocating.

3. American Hustle (2013)

American Hustle (2013)

Irving and Sydney, two con artists, naturally ooze sassy, suave, sensuous, and seductive qualities in order to scheme and defraud their victims. These adjectives define the film’s texture and tone. When their intended victim turns out to be FBI agent Richard De-Maso, trouble ensues. When De-Maso confronts them, he offers an alternative solution: he wants the thugs to use their skills to catch a bigger fish, like New Jersey mayor Carmine Polite.

Adding insult to injury, Rosalyn, Irving’s volatile wife, is an unreliable ally who gets tangled up in a web of deceit, greed and loyalty. With its deviousness and unpredictability, ‘American Hustle’ is an entertaining watch.

4. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Fast-forward The Charlie Sheen starrer ‘Wall Street’ has returned 23 years after the original cult classic. The only difference is that the scene is set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis. When Gordon Gekko, a corporate raider, is released from prison for corporate wrongdoing, he has no one to welcome him, not even his estranged daughter Winnie. Wife-to-be Jake Moore is a rising star in the world of trading.

A meeting between Jake’s mentor, the company’s director, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is thwarted when Bretton James, Jake’s former nemesis whom he wronged in the past, steps in. Jake’s mentor, who had been unhappy and frustrated, takes his own life. Later, Jake swears vengeance on Gekko when he learns that Gekko has a grudge against James. Jake’s resolve is strengthened by this revelation.

As a result of strong desires, although for different reasons, Gekko and James set out to reclaim their dignity and self-respect.

5. Margin Call (2011)

Margin Call (2011)

When set against the financial crisis of 2008, ‘Margin Call’ sheds light on the ‘Greatest Financial Collapse’ that occurred after the 1929 Great Depression. Eric Dale, a company employee, uncovers enormous dangers that could bring the company to its knees and force it to shut down.

Anxiety rises as high-level meetings are called to discuss the problem and make a decision. With its accurate depiction of the tense atmosphere just before a financial meltdown, ‘Margin Call’ provides viewers with a realistic inside look at what transpired within a multinational corporation.

6. The Departed (2006)

For all time, “The Departed” has been the most sinister and deceptive crime drama on the air. Billy Costigan and Colin Sullivan, two Massachusetts State Police Academy grads, find their paths diverging when they leave the academy. Colin is a member of the Special Investigations Unit tasked with bringing down crime boss Frank Costello, while Billy ends up working for Costello but is actually an undercover cop.

When lives are on the line on both sides and the veneer of secrecy is thin, both men are doing everything they can to avoid being “ratted” out. It’s a gritty masterpiece with pulsating visuals and hilariously profane dialogue that you shouldn’t miss.

7. Too Big to Fail (2011)

The documentary ‘Too Big to Fail’ depicts the anguish and desperation of those caught up in the 2008 financial crisis. According to New York Times Columnist Aaron Ross Sorkin’s recollection, the book examines big bank and financial institution executives’ perspectives. A few Wall Street executives meet with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to privately bail out Lehmann Brothers when they were on the verge of bankruptcy.

To make matters worse, Lehmann declares bankruptcy before any of the plans can be put into action. As a result, those in power are shown to have snobbish attitudes and to want to turn the business into a zero-sum game.

8. Spotlight (2015)

Spotlight (2015)

These investigations were carried out by the “Spotlight” team of the Boston Globe into accusations against the Catholic archdiocese of sex abuse. The movie was praised for exposing the priests’ hypocrisy in using their position of nobility to oppress and exploit the weak and defenseless.

9. Wall Street (1987)

With that one single line, ‘Wall Street’ inspired a generation of traders, investment bankers, and stock brokers. That’s not a far-fetched statement. Gordon Gekko, a powerful corporate raider, is a hero to young stockbroker Bud Fox. In an attempt to rise to the top, Fox persuades Gekko to allow him to engage in insider trading for the benefit of the latter, burying his moral compass in the process.

When Gekko’s plans for expansion threaten Fox’s father’s livelihood, the turning point arrives and Fox goes against his own idol. Because of this, the portrayal of greed as a virtue epitomizes Wall Street’s entrepreneurial spirit, which uses it as a weapon to further its own ends. This is a must-see if you want to take a chronological tour of the financial genre.

10. The Big Short (2015)

The Big Short (2015)

The Big Short, the funniest and most satirical financial film to date, tells the stories of four outsiders who correctly predicted the 2008 U.S. housing market collapse long before the rest of the financial system did. Scion Capital’s founder, Michael Burry, bet against the lending market after calling the housing market’s bluff. Jared Venett, a cautious trader at Deutsche Bank, approached Mark Baum, an outspoken no-nonsense hedge fund manager, with news of his absurd investments.

Together, they set out to discover the truth about the rumored fracas, and what they find is a massive scandal. Rather, the film aims to show how greed and self-centeredness can devastate an ecosystem as a whole. It’s never a good idea to have power concentrated in the hands of a few people in a Pareto-distributed manner. But our systems are set up in such a way that events like these are unavoidable even if they are predicted in advance.

11. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

There has never been a film that better captures Wall Street’s arrogance, haughtiness, and sheer conceit than this one. A small-time salesman at a brokerage firm, Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo Di Caprio) sees an opportunity to make it big in the world of finance.

An unethically successful businessman will soar to new heights with the help of his own army of sales bandits, unfazed by regulatory restraints and overindulging in an intoxicated web of sexual pleasures, drugs, and power. Even the most ardent skeptic will find humor and satire in director Martin Scorsese’s in-your-face satirical take on Wall Street, which explores the flaws and eccentricities of the characters who inhabit it.

It’s worth seeing if only for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-worthy performance as financier Jordan Belfort and the film’s enthralling script.

12. Inside Job (2010)

‘Inside Job,’ which provides the most in-depth examination of the 2008 Financial Crisis to date, uses more jargon than the average economics textbook. The crisis harmed not only the reputation of the United States as a nation, but it also resulted in many people losing their jobs, their homes, and their sense of security as a result. Using interviews with financial experts, politicians, and academics, the five-part Oscar-winning documentary traces the events back to their earliest roots.

Some prescient experts, like former IMF chief Raghuram Rajan, began to express concern and uncertainty about the onset of a crisis, which turned out to be true. This is a must-see if you’re looking for a 2-hour film that will keep you riveted.