"House of Games' is a 1987 David Mamet movie about conmen. The problem with most conmen movies is they have to follow "The Sting". That movie has not only had a great set characters and excellent pacing, the ending was a surprise to most viewers.

"House of Games" was the first real conman movie since "The Sting". One of the main differences is main character is not very likable. In the end, that works with the story. The twist also leaves the viewer with a dark sense of humanity. T

Mamet follow up this with another conman movie called "The Spanish Prisoner" Here the object of the con is not cash but some invaluable unnamed McGuffin. The object of the story is to weave a plot/con so complex that the viewer cannot believe the McGuffin can be that valuable. Of course the movie fails to convince, The hundred of people in the plot and the only ones the main characters interacts with all conmen. I feel this was a unwritten agreement that was broken between filmmaker and viewer like M Night Shalaman's "The sixth sense".

Now a days, one watches a conmen movie just like watching a "M Night Shamalan movie, you sit back unemotionally involved. Assume everyone is a conman and look for the twist/double cross. It is like watching a slasher movie where the victim decides to commit all his money against their better judgement. The conman movie matchstick men was particularly pitiful. The movie was set up to double cross the main character but the double made no sense since he had no money. The twist was "Surprise, he has a lot money". If that was the case, he should not have been pulled into the con.