Story: 5/5
Visuals: 4/5
Showing Ocean’s Eleven/Twelve how true plot twists are done: 5/5
Overall: 5/5


When I saw The Sting for the first time, I was rather young – probably about 11 or 12 years old – so I think that much of the story was a bit too complicated for me and that’s why I didn’t really remember the movie too well. In addition, the first time I saw it, the movie was dubbed into German. That’s why watching it again didn’t really feel like watching it again: it was like an entirely new experience, and what a great experience it was!

If you know anything about movies, I probably don’t need to tell you that The Sting is considered a classic, and as with all classics there is a reason that gives it such a status. I’m pretty sure I won’t spoil anything if I reveal that the movie is about a con... that seems like a given. In the past few years I’ve noticed con-movies popping up in theaters every now and then: you’ve got your Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve, Matchstick Men, and Catch Me If You Can... well, that’s four and I can’t think of any more at the moment, but I’m sure there are more that could fit into this category (maybe the remake of The Italian Job?). I’m not saying these are bad movies, I’ve enjoyed most of them to a certain extent, but if I can predict the twist (sorry, Matchstick Men) or if the vital twist in the end comes out of nowhere and leaves the audience feeling cheated (*cough* Ocean’s Eleven *cough*), it takes away from the entire experience of watching the film. Exactly that is the strong point of The Sting: it sets up plot twists early and manages to catch the audience off-guard with surprises that will make you feel a bit stupid for a moment, but not for long – it’s like congratulating a worthy opponent on a well-earned victory. You don’t feel cheated by the film because all the information you need to figure out the ending is really right in front of you, but it blends in with the rest of the film so well that you probably would never notice it.