--- title: "The Sting" year: 1973 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-sting" fi1m_id: "the-sting" imdb_id: "tt0070735" tmdb_id: 9277 wikidata_id: "Q62665" fi1m_score: 85 critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 11 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:48.286144+00:00" region: "PE" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Sting (1973) Directed by George Roy Hill · 2h 09m · Comedy, Crime, Drama ## Identity The Sting - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-sting - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-sting - **IMDb ID:** tt0070735 - **TMDB ID:** 9277 - **Wikidata ID:** Q62665 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070735/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9277, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62665 **Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 85 from 11 reviews *In a sentence:* Paul Newman could probably cheat us at cards twice before we thought to stop smiling > George Roy Hill’s con-game comedy gives Paul Newman and Robert Redford room to be funny, and its elaborate plotting mostly earns the time it takes. A few stretches dawdle, but the company makes them easy to forgive. ## Synopsis Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) and Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) are confidence men working in 1930s Chicago. An elaborate swindle brings their skills into play, as the story follows the planning and performance of a confidence trick. Cards, money and persuasion are part of the work, and appearances offer little certainty about what is happening. Robert Shaw plays Doyle Lonnegan, alongside Charles Durning as Lt. Wm. Snyder, Eileen Brennan as Billie and Harold Gould as Kid Twist. Crime and comedy share the telling, with the audience left to decide how much of what it sees to believe. ## Review George Roy Hill’s *The Sting* is a thoroughly enjoyable crime comedy, with a little more preparation than it needs. Set among confidence men in 1930s Chicago, it takes its pleasures seriously without requiring us to do the same. David S. Ward’s screenplay makes the swindle complicated enough to keep us occupied, while Hill finds time for the people arranging it. We are invited to enjoy their work, including the bits that a brisker film would hurry past. For most of its 129 minutes, that invitation is easy to accept. Paul Newman, as Henry Gondorff, makes confidence look like a matter of not being in a hurry. Robert Redford’s Johnny Hooker supplies more restless energy, and their different speeds keep the partnership interesting even when there is business to explain. We laughed at Newman’s poker-table performance. He takes such evident pleasure in deceiving someone that the joke needs little help from the dialogue. Hill knows when to leave an actor alone, and Newman rewards the attention without appearing to ask for it. Robert Shaw’s Doyle Lonnegan provides the resistance the film needs. Shaw’s severity stops the charm becoming too easy, and he is funnier for refusing to advertise the joke. Eileen Brennan, as Billie, and Harold Gould, as Kid Twist, help make the supporting company worth watching in its own right. The pleasure of these smaller performances is that we can pay attention to someone other than the stars without feeling we are waiting for the proper film to resume. Robert Surtees’s cinematography makes the 1930s settings attractive without letting the scenery dominate every scene. The angled views keep the eye busy, rather than simply inviting us to admire the surroundings. Edith Head’s costumes contribute to the period detail without demanding attention at the expense of the faces above them. There is plenty to inspect in the production design, and Hill occasionally seems reluctant to leave it behind. That fondness for the setting is understandable, though it contributes to the leisurely pace. William Reynolds’s editing works with the chapter headings to divide the complicated business into manageable stages. That structure is helpful, though it can also make us aware of how much arranging remains to be done. Scott Joplin’s ragtime, reworked by Marvin Hamlisch, does a good deal to keep the waiting enjoyable. Its buoyancy suits the cheek of the scheme without forcing every exchange into a joke. The music lets the film take its time more successfully than the cutting always does. The qualification is that Ward and Hill sometimes enjoy the preparations longer than we do. There are stretches when the next piece of business feels more dutiful than amusing, and Reynolds does not quite disguise the extra length. We would happily lose a little of the arranging, even if it meant spending less time in those settings. The people are engaging, but the film seldom asks much of us emotionally. That limits it without spoiling the evening. Con-game films can become tiresome when catching the audience out is their only source of amusement. Hill has the sense to make individual scenes enjoyable before we know how they fit together. His patience with the performers is particularly welcome in a genre that can reduce actors to delivering information and concealing it. Give it time, and resist turning it into a competition to guess ahead. *Fi1m score 85, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics greet The Sting as a witty, good-natured con comedy whose pleasures depend on careful craft. Praise clusters around Newman and Redford’s rapport, the intricate screenplay and George Roy Hill’s controlled direction. The reviews repeatedly credit the chaptered storytelling and elaborate swindle with keeping the entertainment lively, while the 1930s settings and Scott Joplin music contribute much of its charm. For most critics, the polish is central to the pleasure of watching the scheme unfold. Reservations concern length and how much warmth lies beneath that professionalism. Eye for Film enjoys the performances and direction but finds that the film occasionally drags. Time Out offers the clearest dissent, admiring the period detail while finding the familiar formula somewhat soulless. The spread is largely between enthusiasm and qualified enjoyment: most critics welcome the calculated construction, while a minority find it overextended or emotionally thin. ## Straight answers **Is The Sting worth watching?** *The Sting* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a confidence trick performed by good company, and we scored it 85. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are given room to be funny, Robert Shaw supplies the resistance, and Scott Joplin's ragtime keeps the waiting pleasant. A few stretches of preparation dawdle, and the film seldom asks much of us emotionally. **How long is The Sting, and what is it rated?** *The Sting* runs 2h 09m. It is a comedy and crime film. **Where can I watch The Sting in Peru?** *The Sting* is streaming on Netflix in Peru. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Sting, and is it suitable for children?** *The Sting* carries a UK PG certificate and is a crime comedy about swindlers rather than a violent thriller. The pleasures are cards, money and persuasion, and the review notes nothing frightening or gory. Older children who can follow a complicated plot should be fine; younger ones may simply lose track of who is fooling whom. **How does The Sting compare to The Lady Eve?** *The Sting* is the more elaborate of the two, a long, patient con-game comedy about the planning of one swindle, while [*The Lady Eve*](https://film.one/film/the-lady-eve) is a sharper romantic comedy in which the trick is complicated by falling in love. We rate them close, but the Sturges film is the tighter and the Hill film the more relaxed company. Choose *The Sting* for the scheme, *The Lady Eve* for Barbara Stanwyck. **What should I watch after The Sting?** After *The Sting*, try [*The Lady Eve*](https://film.one/film/the-lady-eve) (1941, Fi1m 90): Romance complicates the swindle, with enough wit to make suspicion enjoyable. Then [*Nine Queens*](https://film.one/film/nine-queens) (2000, Fi1m 83): A brisker confidence game that makes every friendly gesture worth questioning; and [*The Grifters*](https://film.one/film/the-grifters) (1990, Fi1m 84): For the same profession with nastier motives and much less comfort. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (5/5): The reteaming of Butch Cassidy stars Newman and Redford with director Hill proved a glorious triumph that won seven Oscars. The real pleasure comes from the chemistry between the two leads, the lovingly created 1930s settings and Marvin Hamlisch's inspired reworking of Scott Joplin's music. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ywtive/the-sting/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The critic calls it one of the most stylish movies of the year and praises its light-fingered, witty con-game plot executed with off-balance pacing and oblique visuals. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sting-1973) - **Empire**, William Thomas (90/100, inferred): The critic calls George Roy Hill the real king of the comedy crime caper for turning the slick script into one of cinema’s sassiest films, praising the episodic structure, Redford and Newman’s sizzling charisma, and the iconic ragtime soundtrack. It concludes that everything good about Hollywood fell into place at the right time, making it magnificent and timeless. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sting-review/) - **The Independent** (85/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a hugely enjoyable con-man caper from 1973 that reprises the chemistry between Redford and Newman from Butch Cassidy. It singles out the terrific Scott Joplin score, exquisite cameos and elegantly played-out sting for praise. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-bluray-the-sting-pg-7827689.html) - **The Telegraph**, Patrick Smith (85/100, inferred): The film is the definitive con artist comedy and a crafty, good-natured crime caper that surpasses the duo's earlier collaboration. It excels through its complex swindle, period detail, snappy script, and sleek direction with chapter headings. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11320168/The-Sting-review-irresistible.html) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (B+): The critic calls it a model of old-school craft and a broadly appealing entertainment that runs like a top in an era of auteur-driven turbulence. The silky-smooth mechanics of the screenplay and direction are singled out as the primary allure, along with the effortless Scott Joplin score. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-sting-1798173148) - **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film good-natured and charming as a con game about exuberant 1930s confidence men, forgiving its efforts to charm despite some loose period details. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/26/archives/film1930s-confidence-men-are-heroes-of-sting.html) - **The Times**, Stephen Dalton (80/100, inferred): The biggest grossing film of 1973 reunites the successful team for a convoluted scam in 1930s Chicago. Three decades on, it still bounces along with an irresistible, roguish swagger. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/the-sting-5nbqbxdrt68) - **Time Out**, CPe (60/100, inferred): Hill's follow-up to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid sticks to the same proven box-office formula with Newman and Redford as conmen in 1930s Chicago. It is all very professional with fine attention to period detail, but a bit soulless. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-sting) - **Sight and Sound**: This is the most elaborate heist film to date, with an outrageously jokey and calculated finale. It is a thoroughly old-fashioned, professional entertainment that is a little overlong but sufficiently well written and played, with real pleasures in its sheer physical beauty and rich re-creation of a Thirties milieu. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=45) - **HeyUGuys**, Dave Roper (5/5): The review praises the flawless screenplay, strong characterization, rapport between Newman and Redford, and calls it an intelligent, witty and enjoyable con movie. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/universal-100-years-the-sting-bluray-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Trash Fletcher (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an enjoyable con tale with outrageous and entertaining characters, praising the performances of Newman and Redford and the direction, but complains about its length and occasional dragging. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-sting-film-review-by-trash-fletcher) ## Details - **Director:** George Roy Hill - **Director:** George Roy Hill - **Writer:** David S. Ward - **Cinematography:** Robert L. Surtees - **Editor:** William H. Reynolds - **Music:** Marvin Hamlisch, Scott Joplin - **Costume design:** Edith Head - **Producer:** Tony Bill, Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips - **Cast:** Paul Newman as Henry Gondorff; Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker; Robert Shaw as Doyle Lonnegan; Charles Durning as Lt. Wm. Snyder; Ray Walston as J.J. Singleton; Eileen Brennan as Billie; Harold Gould as Kid Twist; John Heffernan as Eddie Niles - **Runtime:** 2h 09m - **First release (Canada):** 25 December 1973 - **Genres:** Comedy, Crime, Drama - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1973) - **Budget:** $6 million - **Box office:** $160 million ## Where to watch in Peru - Netflix: streaming *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1974: Best Actor (nominated); Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Costume Design (won); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Original Song Score (won); Best Picture (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won) ## If you liked this - *The Lady Eve* (1941), Fi1m 90: Romance complicates the swindle, with enough wit to make suspicion enjoyable. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lady-eve.md) - *Nine Queens* (2000), Fi1m 83: A brisker confidence game that makes every friendly gesture worth questioning. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nine-queens.md) - *The Grifters* (1990), Fi1m 84: For the same profession with nastier motives and much less comfort. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-grifters.md) - *The Lavender Hill Mob* (1951), Fi1m 82: Another carefully organised crime, carried out by people worth spending time with. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lavender-hill-mob.md) - *House of Games* (1987): Cooler, more unsettling deception, with close attention to how confidence gets manufactured. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-sting