The Grifters

The cinematic canvas unfolds with a distinctive narrative voice, courtesy of producer Martin Scorsese, who sets the tone by explaining the intricate world of high-stakes horse racing, where cunning bettors manipulate odds to maximize profits. Against this backdrop, Lily Dillon (Angelica Houston), a 40-year-old veteran con artist, operates with precision and guile for her Baltimore-based patron, Bobo Justus. As she collects earnings from manipulated bets, Lily expertly hides a significant portion of the take in a secret compartment within her car trunk, adding to her stash of pilfered funds from Bobo.

The narrative takes a turn when Bobo's associate reaches out from New Mexico, instructing Lily to head to La Jolla's famed racetrack. En route, she plans to stop by Los Angeles to reconnect with her 25-year-old estranged son, Roy Dillon (John Cusak), who has built a reputation for himself as a small-time con artist. In LA, Roy has honed his skills, employing a clever trick involving a $20 bill and a bartender. However, his luck turns when he's caught by an unsuspecting mark, leaving him battered and bruised.

As Roy recovers from his ordeal in bed, memories of his first mentor, the enigmatic Mintz (Eddie Jones), flood his mind. Mintz' words of wisdom still linger, particularly his caution against partnering with others in cons – a partnership doomed to end in catastrophe. That same night, Roy's 35-year-old girlfriend, Myra Langtry (Annette Benning), a fellow grifter, pays him a visit, and their intimate encounter rekindles the flames of their passion.

The following day, Lily appears at Roy's doorstep, sparking a tense confrontation that exposes the depth of their estrangement. Eight years of silence have taken their toll on Roy, who feels deeply wounded by his mother's abandonment. As the argument escalates, Lily notices the extent of Roy's physical distress – a symptom of his underlying vulnerability. In a desperate bid to salvage her son's life, she has him rushed to the hospital, where medical professionals scramble to treat his internal bleeding.

With Roy fighting for his life, Lily's maternal instincts are put to the test as she threatens the doctor who delivers the sobering prognosis: her son may not survive. As the stakes grow higher, the boundaries between loyalty and deception begin to blur, setting the stage for a complex web of relationships that will shape the future of these morally ambiguous characters.

As both Lily and Myra converge on Roy's hospital bedside, an unmistakable undercurrent of tension crackles between them. For Lily, Myra embodies the essence of bad influence, a notion that resonates deeply as she gazes upon her son's fragile form. Conversely, Myra harbors suspicions about an incestuous relationship between mother and son, a notion that lingers despite never being explicitly confirmed. The dynamic duo's animosity reaches a boiling point when Lily summons the charming young nurse assigned to Roy's care, only to inform her son that she has hired the nurse as his primary caregiver upon discharge from the hospital. Roy's response is nothing short of brutal, revealing to the nurse that his mother had commissioned her services with the ulterior motive of facilitating illicit encounters.

Meanwhile, Myra returns to her apartment, where a contentious encounter awaits with her landlord, who insists on being paid in cash for her past-due rent. Refusing to back down, Myra offers a more unconventional form of payment – her own sexuality – leaving her landlord no choice but to accept the proposal. The exchange is marked by an unspoken understanding that this transaction will not be the last.

As Lily navigates the congested streets of San Diego, she finds herself stuck in a traffic jam that ultimately costs her a chance at a lucrative racing opportunity with Bobo (Pat Hingle). Faced with the consequences of her missed chance, Lily is confronted by Bobo himself, who orders her to escort him to his hotel. The drive is punctuated by a candid conversation about her son, which Bobo has never known existed.

Upon arriving at his hotel room, Bobo's sudden display of physical aggression leaves Lily reeling – he delivers a swift punch to her stomach before commanding her to retrieve a towel from the bathroom. As she obliges, Bobo presents her with a few pounds of oranges and begins discussing an insurance scam involving the deliberate infliction of bruising injuries using these citrus fruits. In this twisted game, improper execution can result in severe internal damage. Bobo's demonstration of this technique sends Lily scrambling for cover as he pretends to unleash the oranges upon her person, before abruptly ceasing his attack and instead branding her right hand with a lit cigar.

Shaken but gradually regaining her composure, Lily exits the hotel room on relatively amicable terms with Bobo, having weathered the storm of his unconventional hospitality.

As Roy settles back into his apartment, he's met with an unexpected surprise in the form of Myra. The two embark on a romantic weekend getaway, but amidst the scenic views and cozy atmosphere, Roy can't help but indulge in some illicit activities, cleverly swindling sailors at a dice game. Myra, however, is privy to his true nature as a seasoned grifter, having recognized his work from afar.

Their conversation takes a turn when she confronts him about his occupation, and although he initially denies it, Roy eventually comes clean, revealing the truth about his profession. In response, Myra shares her own con artist credentials, boasting of her skills in long cons. Roy's skepticism is piqued, and he presses her for details, only to learn that she's been involved with a seasoned con man named Cole Langley.

Through a riveting flashback sequence, Myra recounts her association with the cunning Cole, who specialized in high-stakes business cons involving wealthy marks like Gloucester Hebbing. The duo would set up elaborate schemes, complete with fake FBI raids and dramatic flair, all designed to part unsuspecting victims from their fortunes. However, as Myra's narrative unwinds, it becomes clear that Cole's motives weren't entirely pure, and his eventual descent into madness led to a rather... unfortunate outcome.

Back in the present, Myra reveals that Cole has long since retired from the con game, albeit under less than ideal circumstances – he was institutionalized after his mental health took a turn for the worse. With this information fresh in her mind, Myra sets her sights on Roy, attempting to convince him to join forces and embark on an ambitious long con.

However, Roy remains wary of Myra's true intentions, fueled by concerns that she may be trying to manipulate him into doing her bidding. Tensions simmer as Myra pays a visit to Roy at his apartment, this time bearing the promise of a lucrative con opportunity – but only if he can come up with $10,000 to fund the venture. When Roy expresses skepticism, Myra's response is laced with an air of insinuation, hinting at the possibility that Roy may be having an incestuous relationship with his mother.

The conversation devolves into a heated exchange, culminating in Roy striking Myra and ordering her to leave his apartment for good. As the door closes behind her, it's clear that this is far from the end of their twisted tale of love, lies, and deceit.

As Roy initiates contact with his mother Lily, requesting a meeting "as adults", he agrees to make the drive to her residence that evening. Unbeknownst to him, Myra exacts revenge by discreetly alerting Bobo to Lily's alleged embezzlement of profits, which prompts a swift response from Bobo's organization. A trusted associate within their ranks calls Lily, warning her of Bobo's knowledge and prompting her immediate departure. As the two henchmen arrive at her hotel room, they find only abandoned belongings and her prized gold and cream-colored Cadillac gone, before departing to report back to Bobo. Meanwhile, Roy arrives shortly after, only to discover his mother has vanished into thin air.

The night wears on as Lily drives through the desert, eventually finding refuge in a small Arizona hotel. Unbeknownst to her, Myra is hot on her heels, employing a master key to gain access to Lily's room and launch a surprise attack while she sleeps peacefully.

The next morning, the Phoenix police contact Roy with devastating news: his mother has been found dead, the apparent victim of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. In the absence of fingerprints or other identifying features, they require Roy's presence at the hospital to confirm the identity of the deceased. As he gazes upon the disfigured face, one detail catches his attention - the absence of a telltale cigar burn on the hand.

Upon returning home, Roy is met with an unexpected sight: his mother packing away their hidden stash of cash, cleverly concealed within picture frames. Confronting her, Lily reveals that she took matters into her own hands and shot Myra in self-defense, meticulously arranging the scene to deceive Bobo into believing it was her own lifeless body. With this revelation, Roy is left grappling with the true extent of his mother's cunning and resourcefulness.

As desperation creeps in, Lily's pleas for financial aid fall on deaf ears as Roy steadfastly refuses to succumb to her entreaties. He implores her to abandon her life of illicit dealings and seek legitimate employment, insisting that survival depends on laying low and avoiding the very pitfalls she's so eager to escape. Undeterred, Lily becomes increasingly brazen, attempting to cajole him with a blend of emotional manipulation and sultry seduction. When these tactics fail, she resorts to a desperate gambit, casting aspersions on his parental legitimacy in a bid to elicit sympathy. The ploy backfires, however, as Roy's disgust turns to revulsion, and he recoils from her advances.

In the midst of this chaos, Lily's actions become increasingly erratic, culminating in a moment of unbridled fury as she raises the suitcase containing the coveted funds in a violent swing that inadvertently shatters a nearby drinking glass. The shards slice through the air, striking Roy with deadly precision, severing an artery and leaving him to bleed out on the floor.

As her son's life force ebbs away, Lily's anguish becomes all-consuming, her body wracked by convulsive sobs as she scrambles to gather the scattered cash. Dressed in a vibrant red dress and matching stilettos, she abandons her dying son and flees the scene, descending into the hotel elevator with an air of calculated nonchalance. Emerging into the night, she slips behind the wheel of her son's nondescript Plymouth K-car, disappearing into the darkness like a ghostly apparition, leaving behind a trail of devastation and bloodshed.