It’s always intriguing to observe a master hone their craft. As someone who doesn’t normally watch true crime documentaries, that’s my assumed explanation for the obsession around such films. Take The Tinder Swindler, a captivating show regarding Simon Leveiv and his almost perfect manipulation and execution in scamming. This article will have minor spoilers, though obviously not enough to warrant skipping over the film.
The Tinder Swindler Documents the Stories of Three Women All Duped by One Man.
These women met Simon Leviev through, as the name suggests, Tinder. With his profile, he seems like the perfect man. Well travelled, educated, philanthropic, with the added benefit of wealth. He would win the women over with the most luxurious first date, showering them with gifts as the relationship progressed. All of this enabled him to build his persona as a rich, high profile individual, with many many enemies.
It’s mind-boggling how effectively Leviev wins over the trust of others. You can argue that the women were foolish or vain, but I think the show proves anyone is susceptible to manipulation. In fact, one of the women didn’t have a romantic relationship with Leviev. He simply could make anyone feel like they could take on the world.
However, he would soon fake a sense of urgency, and that’s where the scamming begins. I won’t exactly explain how, because you should watch the film for that. He would repeat this for many women at once. First create a luxurious front, then scam individuals to continue feeding that lavish lifestyle and persona.
The film then goes on a deep thrilling hunt to catch Leviev, however difficult because the Police mostly didn’t care enough to put in the effort.
So, What Makes This Story Great?
I found the pace and flow fantastic. There were highs and lows, though never dull points. I was completely engrossed throughout the entire film. Something I enjoyed (I don’t know how objective other documentaries are) is how unbiased it felt. Yes, Leviev is the ‘bad guy’ of the film. The film still highlights how the women made dangerous mistakes, and understanding that is a central theme of the documentary. Manipulation and the trap of success is very real and can happen to anyone. The victims of the story are cultured and educated individuals themselves. Leviev is simply a master at manipulation, taking advantage of the others’ vulnerability and romantic ideals. These women go through a horrible experience, and it’s clear how damaging that is to their trust and mental wellbeing.
The story starts by introducing one girlfriend, then later on building on this with the other two women. I thought the producers did an excellent job with this. It felt like it started small, then continuously built into an ever expanding and complex situation. There’s also constant travel between locations which reflects the hectic difficulty following Leviev.
The documentary is very real and straightforward. They don’t try to be flashy, which I appreciated. There is no true happy ending, but the story remains ongoing. The themes and messages are vital, especially in an increasingly online world. Even long-term relationships can be very different from what they seem.
