Ridley Scott's Forgotten 116-Minute Heist Thriller Resurfaces on Streaming

Throughout his six-decade career, Ridley Scotthas created iconic masterpieces, major duds, and everything in between. A consistent, versatile workhorse, the British filmmaker — who began by directing commercials and rose to the top of the class of prestige directors — has always been game to try something new and expand his horizons beyond his signature sci-fi and historical epics like Blade Runner and Gladiator. Despite the Ridley Scott Hall of Fame being a crowded space, Matchstick Men, released in 2003 and starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman, deserves its place in it. Unlike much of Scott's late-period work, which is often bloated and dramatically inert, Matchstick Men, which is now streaming for free on Tubi, is a breezy, gripping crime caper filled with laughs, thrills, and strong characterization — and it shows that he didn't always need massive sets and story arcs to deliver a well-oiled machine of a movie.