Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- suspenseful
- sardonic
- adult movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an appealing, sharply directed and fast-moving deception caper elevated by excellent performances, especially Richard Gere and Alfred Molina, while acknowledging a darker undertow.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Irving's playful impersonation and narrow escapes are shadowed by dread, exposure, and the corrosive consequences of his fraud.
Irving succeeds by manipulating McGraw-Hill, corporate ambition, and Hughes's public inaccessibility.
Irving claims Hughes's authorization, researches an autobiography, and maintains the false identity through coordinated deception.
The plot unfolds during early-1970s reelection calculations and evokes an atmosphere of secrecy, distrust, and public manipulation.
Films like The Hoax, and why
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Shared true-crime-inspired literary deception, witty caper mechanics, corporate satire, and charismatic antihero.
Catch Me If You Can
Shared con-artist comedy-drama structure, period setting, escalating deception, and morally ambiguous protagonist.
American Hustle
Shared fast-paced fraud narrative, satirical treatment of ambition and media, and uneasy comic undertow.
Shattered Glass
Shared literary fraud, fabricated identity, sharp dialogue, and tension between performance and truth.
Movie Details
- Director
- Lasse Hallström
- Release Date
- 2006-10-14
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (247)
Cast
- Richard Gere
- Alfred Molina
- Marcia Gay Harden
- Hope Davis
- Julie Delpy
- Stanley Tucci
- David Aaron Baker
- Mamie Gummer
- Željko Ivanek
- Eli Wallach
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hoax about?
- A cash-strapped novelist impersonates Howard Hughes to sell a fabricated autobiography, turning literary ambition into a dangerously entertaining fraud.
- What is The Hoax like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hoax as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Hoax violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Hoax.
- What did critics think of The Hoax?
- Critics broadly found the film an appealing, sharply directed and fast-moving deception caper elevated by excellent performances, especially Richard Gere and Alfred Molina, while acknowledging a darker undertow.
- Which films are like The Hoax?
- Films with a similar feel include Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Catch Me If You Can, American Hustle, and Shattered Glass.
- How long is The Hoax?
- The Hoax runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hoax?
- In United States, The Hoax is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
