The Tinder Swindler

As the British government promises to tighten control of dubious websites, Netflix delivers a documentary that beggars belief.

Having recently written about my own weird and wired internet dating experience worthy of a novel, or at least a stage play, I was intrigued by The Tinder Swindler storyline: that is, of women who have been duped out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by a man they met on the dating app Tinder who claimed to be the heir to one of the largest diamond mines in the world, was on the run from the Mafia and in need of a nurse with a purse. I've written a lot of romantic fiction and even I wouldn't pitch this plot line. These were shrewd business women, highly intelligent and fiercely independent, well-travelled and beautiful.

They each talk coherently and directly to camera, with edited cutaways headlining the instagrammable selfie-cities around the world in which they meet the villain of the piece for lunch, supper, sex, party or often all of the above. They carefully and in detail describe the pattern of seduction, from the pap of text seduction (what is a 'wet emoji?') travelling by private jet with bodyguards, flowers, supper (caviar, sushi and where everyone knows his name), then to subvert the fairy tale narrative where the guy rips them of all self-respect, financial independence and self-esteem.

I blame it all on Pretty Woman, when Richard Gere asks Julia Roberts what happens to the prince when he's rescued the princess? “She rescues him right back!” she replies. Footage not only of the man in question, but also voicemail recordings of him, by turn soothing and threatening, add uncomfortable listening. However, the unexpected chilling aspect of this documentary is that despite it all the women still cared, loved and in one case felt sorry for the man, acknowledging that he was “a piece of shit” who was bombarding her with messages threatening her life and that of her family. The ending is not what you would expect – or at least what I would expect, showing the #MeToo movement still has a long way to go. A must-see, even if only to avoid this con man for yourself. 

SARAH TUCKER

Featuring  Kristoffer Kumar, Erlend Ofte Arntsen, Ayleen Charlotte, Cecilie Fjellhøy, Natalie Remøe Hansen, Pernilla Sjöholm. 

Dir Felicity Morris, Pro Bernadette Higgins, Ph Kristoffer Kumar, Ed Julian Hart, Music Jessica Jones, Sound Chad Orororo. 

RAW/AGC Studios/Gaspin Media/Raw Television-Netflix.
113 mins. UK. 2022. UK and US Rel: 2 February 2022. Cert. 15.