The Masked Scammer is an investigative docufilm about the French conman artist Gilbert Chikli, who successfully curated millions of dollars in fraud and scams, during a period of more than ten years. The documentary uncovers the entire story of Chikli, right from his first scam, to his last one. Morever, it is directed by Dominic Sivyer and Yvann Yagchi and has a runtime of one hour and thirty minutes.
The docufilm primarily features victims, investigators and cops involved with the long-running trial, and also includes interviews with Chikli’s ex-wife, Shirley. Moreover, the conman artist himself provides the narration throughout the film.
-The Masked Scammer Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
The docufilm starts with a brief introduction of Gilbert Chikli and takes us to the very roots of his career trajectory. This provides a basic context about the scammer, who compiled fraud with administrators and CEOs, and was almost responsible for putting the French foreign policy at risk.
Chikli, was born and brought up in Paris, and raised in extreme poverty. And had an innate talent to convince people without much ado. At one point, he was even impersonating the Defence minister of France, and duping individuals of millions. The very desire to earn a lavish life and compensate for the shortcomings of his childhood forms the core of this intense documentary.
There is an underline tone of slickness and smartness in the docufilm that coincides with the subject matter itself and feels more like a conscious choice. I think the makers have done a great job representing the con story of the artist, in the most personal manner possible, and without restricting the flow of information.
At first, we are made to believe that Chikli was some sort of wicked genius (which he was) without any flaw or inaccuracy. But, soon the fake image falls through, layer by layer, and puts forward the showman persona of the conman. Furthermore, the entire setup of analysing the man behind the mask is one of the peak moments in the feature.
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One of the core characteristics of a great true crime documentary is the factor of unbelievability attached to it. There is a point in this film where I was in complete shock at the scale of the fraud and couldn’t quite comprehend the nature of the events. However, if this wasn’t enough, the setup escalated to something unmanageable and horrendous.
All in all, it’s one of those documentaries that make you think hard about the limits of the human intellect, and the extent of its misuse. It is also a well-curated cautionary tale about one of the biggest online scams of all time.
The Masked Scammer Final Thoughts
The docufilm is a must-watch binge, that will leave you in complete awe of its appreciation. It has all the elements to keep you hooked until the end and surprise you with a shockingly true story. Moreover, it will also remind you not to trust unknown phone calls and skype meetings.
You can stream the documentary on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts about it in the comment section below.
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