F for Fake

Play trailer

F for Fake

PG

1976

1h 28m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Orson Welles' final film documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

F for Fake playfully poses intriguing questions while proving that even Orson Welles' minor works contain their share of masterful moments.

Read Critics Reviews

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 11, 2015

3/4

F For Fake is minor Welles, the master idly tuning his instrument while the concert seems never to start again. But it's engaging and fun, and it's astonishing how easily Welles spins a movie out of next to nothing.

Go to Full Review

Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Oct 11, 2015

The result is a curious, unsatisfactory pastiche of documentary tidbits acquired from Reichenbach and speculative filler supplied by Welles himself.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Oct 11, 2015

3/5

The last film to be completed by Orson Welles is also probably his most challenging. A tricksy combination of documentary, discourse and sleight of hand, F for Fake is as elusive as it is playful.

Go to Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Jan 25, 2023

2.5/4

Orson Welles goes full Godard...

Go to Full Review

Gérard Legrand

Positif

May 4, 2022

In F for Fake, the creation of illusion completely overtakes the craving for power. Hence the exceptional euphoria generated by the film.

Go to Full Review

A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Nov 29, 2018

Did Welles write those marvelous lines about reality himself? He must have.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad Oct 13, 2026

Excellent Documentary on Orson Wells!!!

See more

Johnathon W

@Hoppynsc Sep 6, 2026

Delightful documentary that Orson Welles calls an 'essay' film, that really plays on what is real and what is fake. Welles is clearly having a ball with the subject, covering everything from art forgery, fake biographies to Welles's infamous "War of the Worlds" broadcast. Throughout, he points out what is really real and what's fake, such as how some art forgeries are so real even their own artists are fulled. A fun film that shows in an documentary, Welles was his own breed.

See more

Kyle M

@RT77296778 May 25, 2026

Orson Welles’ credibility abides with limited range at waning interest as he proceeds his topic of artistic forgery in intriguing form, granting the takeaway onto general terms to the honest extent of examining his profession’s benchmarking magnum opus. (B)

See more

Eileen W

@RT09472968 Apr 1, 2025

Ok, its old. Maybe that’s why it’s so cringey. Welles oily narration is repulsive. Unwatchable, and a waste of the viewer‘s time.

See more

Simon T

@MovieTart Feb 5, 2024

Many have made huge claims for this late low-budget Welles fluff, not least Welles himself, but it is a self-indulgent, often incoherent and lazy, home movie. Ostensibly a celebration of fakery - in particular that of Elmyr De Hory and Clifford Irving - it's actually 90 minutes of Welles reading his script lazily and showcasing his ego. The subject of forgery is fascinating. If only Welles had got out of his way.

See more

Russ

@RT78760655 Feb 3, 2024

It's disjointed, and most annoyingly, the viewer can quickly grasp that it's by design, not an accident. IOW, this is a fake, too.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Orson Welles

Director

Orson Welles

Self

Oja Kodar

The Girl

Joseph Cotten

Special Participant

Francois Reichenbach

Special Participant

Richard Wilson

Special Participant

Pumping Iron

92%

84%

Pumping Iron

Watchlist

Grey Gardens

95%

85%

Grey Gardens

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Grey Gardens

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

73%

89%

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

Watchlist

The Song Remains the Same

40%

87%

The Song Remains the Same

Watchlist

Harlan County, U.S.A.

100%

92%

Harlan County, U.S.A.

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on DVD & Blu-Ray: Snowpiercer, Mad Men, and More

Tom Cruise NOT to Star in "Watchmen"

View more photos

Synopsis

Orson Welles' final film documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.

Director: Orson Welles
Producer: Dominique Antoine
Screenwriter: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar
Distributor: Criterion Collection
Production Co: Janus Film
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2017
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Mono

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings