‘The Tinder Swindler’ Documentary Review
This film streamed in 2022.
The Tinder Swindler is a true crime Netflix documentary that follows several victims of Simon Leviev, a convicted conman. It is directed by Felicity Morris with Bernadette Higgins as a producer.
Simon Leviev was a con artist who swindled several European women out of loads of cash. He would stalk them on the dating app Tinder and then take them on lavish vacations, claiming that he was the son of a diamond merchant who also handled the business. After a few weeks or months, he would hint at a security threat. Later, he would send a picture of his bodyguard seemingly injured and tell them he was in grave danger. Soon, the girls found themselves in massive debt, and if they did not pay up, he would threaten them.
The documentary relies on interviews with three specific victims of Leviev. Each provides recordings and screenshots of him showing how he manipulated and lied to them. The film successfully displays his crimes and does a good job of keeping you invested in the shocking story. The twists and turns are unfathomable as you listen to this swindler beg, plead, and try to scare these women into doing what he wants them to do.
This story was well-told in the movie, bringing it to an interesting conclusion that does not feel like justice is done, although one of the women did get some good revenge on him subtly.
The film states that even after all of the accusations and criminal charges brought against Leviev, he was still on Tinder, but further research indicated the dating app has banned him, so perhaps that was some change. It is a cautionary tale as con artists are getting far more sophisticated these days, and this documentary does a good job of exposing this.
Check out the trailer below:
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Discussion of violence, Disturbing topics, Thematic elements
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