F for Fake

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F for Fake

PG

1976

1h 28m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

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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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Jan 25, 2023

2.5/4

Orson Welles goes full Godard...

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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.

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Nov 29, 2018

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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Joel H

@786Joel Nov 22, 2023

F for Fake is a fascinating film because I've never seen a documentary quite like it. Orson Welles was given a very long leash and experiments with the format. The way the story is edited together makes it almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen, but it's also a dizzying cacophony of images, sounds, and ideas. At first the experience is amusing, but it begins to wear on you after a while. And, at times, Welles seems more interested in showing off his girlfriend than explaining the strange true events he's presenting. I feel like the story got lost in the storytelling during F for Fake.

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Orson Welles

Director

Orson Welles

Self

Oja Kodar

The Girl

Joseph Cotten

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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

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