Watch and memorize. 7 movies about manipulators

7. "Shirley"

• 2020
• USA
• Horror, thriller, drama, detective, biography
• Director: Josephine Decker
• Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Logan Lerman, Odessa Young, Marguerite Allen
• IMDb Rating: 6.1

Writer Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss) is going through a creative crisis. One day, a pair of newlyweds stay at her mansion. That's when the writer realizes she's found a source of inspiration for a new book. But for this she has to draw the young people into a network of intrigue between her and her husband, to confuse and almost drive them crazy.

Despite the fact that the main character of the movie is a real writer Shirley Jackson, the movie isn't a biopic. It's more of a fantasy about how the queen of horror would act under the given circumstances.

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6. "Coup!"

• 2023
• USA
• Comedy, thriller
• Directors: Austin Stark, Joseph Schuman
• Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir
• IMDb Rating: 6.1

1918, the beginning of the Spanish flu epidemic. A wealthy estate near New York City recruits servants to survive a period of self-isolation. Among the new staff turns out to be Chef Floyd (Peter Sarsgaard) with impeccable references. And not only is he perfectly skilled in the art of cooking, but he's also an outstanding manipulator. The chef imperceptibly and very quickly takes control of all the servants, and soon seizes and power in the house.

The premiere of the picture was held as part of the program Venice Days at the Venice Festival. "Coup!" was the directorial debut of Joseph Schuman.

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5. "The Last Vermeer" 

• 2019
• USA
• Drama, biography
• Director: Dan Friedkin
• Starring: Claes Bang, Daan Aufenacker, Guy Pearce, August Diehl
• IMDb Rating: 6.7

Joseph Piller (Claes Bang), a former lieutenant in the Dutch resistance, is searching for collaborators among his fellow citizens. This is how an art gallery comes to his attention, which, according to some reports, served as a cover for German spies. The investigation leads Piller to the eccentric artist Han van Meegeren (Guy Pearce), accused of selling masterpieces by Dutch painters to the Nazis.

The plot is based on the chronicle of the life of one of the most famous forgers of the 20th century, Han van Meegeren, whose persona generated many myths and changed art history.

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4. "The Guest"

• 2014
• USA, UK
• Thriller, action
• Director: Adam Wingard
• Starring: Dan Stevens, Micah Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser
• IMDb Rating: 6.7

The Petersons are mourning a son killed in the war in Afghanistan when suddenly a stranger appears on their doorstep. David (Dan Stevens) claims that he served with the deceased and visiting the home of his comrade in arms is the fulfillment of his last will. The family warmly accepts the unexpected guest, but it seems that the charming David is not at all who he pretends to be, because together with him in the neighborhood comes death.

"Surprised there are no comments, great movie, check it out", — rsv-rsv.

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3. "The Good Liar"  

• 2019
• UK, USA
• Detective, drama
• Director: Bill Condon
• Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Johannes Heikjour Johannesson, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter
• IMDb Rating: 6.7

Adventurer Roy (Ian McKellen) is a lover of financial fraud and rich widows. In his 80s, he hasn't lost his knack and charm and, having met Betty (Helen Mirren) online, with every reason counts on a big score. But Betty is smart, educated and so charms Roy that his whole scam risks to fail.

The script is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by British Nicholas Searle.

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2. "Florence Foster Jenkins"

• 2016
• UK, France
• Drama, comedy, biography, music
• Director: Stephen Frears
• Starring: Meryl Streep, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Helberg, Hugh Grant, Neve Gachev
• IMDb Rating: 6.8

Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) has always dreamed of singing on stage. Except that nature didn't endow her with hearing and voice. But is the lack of talent — is an obstacle for a person who strives hard to fulfill the dream? And the title of the most worthless singer in the world isn't everyone can spoil the mood!

"A charming tragicomedy. Great cast. You can and laugh and cry so it is touching", — marivostrikova.

"The desire to fight, the desire to live enjoy this moment. Watching this movie, I did not pay attention to the singing of the main character, I admired her strength, the desire to help people, unselfishly. A hard fate, the inability to fully find a family, all this makes the main character even stronger, from the look of a very fragile, vulnerable, she appears before the audience a real fighter. Meryl Streep just perfectly conveyed the character of the character", — marivostrikova.

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1. "Saltburn"

• 2023
• UK, USA
• Drama
• Director: Emerald Fennell
• Starring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant
• IMDb Rating: 7.0

Mid-2000s. Trying to find his place at Oxford University, Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) gets close to a fellow student, charming aristocrat Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). The latter invites the young man to spend the summer vacation at the family's ancestral estate in Saltburn.

"Wow... just wow. I had expectations and they've been met. Everything I love has been brought together here. But there are so many impressions that there's not much to say because you have to digest it. Yeah, there's a lot of similar stuff in here. From the last one the same "Parasites", but still visually and in English it is delightful", — tevladka.

"The movie has a very cool vibe of prestige in the 2000s. But I think girls would be much more likely to get a kick out of it. The lunch scene after Felix dies is a masterpiece", — niggapig.

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