Curator Watchlist
A glossy, star-driven con-artist caper with slick set pieces and strong chemistry, but the plotting is thin and the romantic angle never fully lands. It works best as shiny, disposable entertainment rather than a truly satisfying crime film.
Where to watch: Buy
Wed · 1h 45m
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez
Nicky, an accomplished con artist, gets romantically involved with his disciple Jess but later ends their relationship. Years later, she returns as a femme fatale to spoil his plans.
Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez
A glossy, star-driven con-artist caper with slick set pieces and strong chemistry, but the plotting is thin and the romantic angle never fully lands. It works best as shiny, disposable entertainment rather than a truly satisfying crime film.
Focus is built around charisma first and logic second. The movie knows how to sell a scam, a flirtation, and a costume change, and when it’s moving fast it can be genuinely fun to watch. The football betting sequence and a few other set pieces deliver the kind of clean, crowd-pleasing momentum the film is aiming for.
What keeps it from rising above “pleasantly slick” is that the screenplay is more interested in attitude than structure. The relationship between the leads has spark, but the emotional turns feel engineered rather than earned, and the film never quite decides whether it wants to be a romance, a con game, or a showcase for surface-level cool.
Still, the movie has enough polish and star power to stay watchable, especially if you’re in the mood for something light, glossy, and a little shameless. It’s the kind of crime-comedy that plays best as a vibe: attractive people, expensive-looking tricks, and just enough momentum to keep you leaning in.
franco (2★) · 2387 likes
if margot robbie steals from me do NOT arrest her!! she caught ME slipping!!
noella <3 (4.5★) · 1949 likes
something about women stealing from men and manipulating them sits right with me
timtamtitus (3★) · 1223 likes
margot robbing
davidehrlich (3★) · 990 likes
by the time FOCUS ends, Will Smith is no longer the biggest star in the movie. that would be my girl, noted new york rangers fan Margot Robbie. sure, this movie adds up to approximately zilch, but it sure is some shiny dumb fun. LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE CON!! or maybe love is the only thing that *isn't* a con?? i dunno. it's probably one of the two. (that is not a spoiler)
issy 🥝 (4★) · 885 likes
I would like a full length tutorial for every one of miss margot’s hairstyles in this
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con artists, deception, romantic manipulation, identity games, trust and betrayal, glossy urban crime, seduction as strategy, double-crosses
crime-comedy, heist, romantic tension, con artists, slick style, double-cross, glamour, lightweight caper, New Orleans, star vehicle