The Hollywood Con Queen Review – Explosive, Attention-Grabbing, Astonishing

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Category: Streaming, Cable

Published on Tuesday, 07 May 2024 20:33

Written by Janet Walker

Hollywood Con Queen, from Apple TV, brings to the screen an explosive limited series that unpacks a complicated and layered money scam detailing a master manipulator, preying on the dreams and aspirations of talent around the world.

Former Hollywood Reporter investigative journalist Scott Johnson, the reporter that broke the explosive story, unpacks the multi-national scam, over three episodes. He explains he was sent a tip, which essentially set him on the story. We also met the private investigator Nicole Kotsianas, whose firm had been contacted by a well-known producer who indicated that her name was being used, and she believed she was being impersonated.

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In episode one titled, "Crazy, Mad, Crazy, Genius" we are introduced to the victims, one actor, and two photographers and they begin to reveal the details that ultimately ensnared them. Using the name of many of the most well-known and powerful producers and directors, the Con Queen, would present a somewhat legitimate sounding offer, I received your reel, contact information, images and then would proceed to lay it on thick, each time upping the ante, explaining that a superstar actor is also in the fictitious film, and you'll be working with them.

Step by step the scam pulls the talent into the bait, which is the dream. Finally, he explains to meet with the players, you'll need to book a flight, at your own expense, to Indonesia, don't worry just get receipts and you'll be reimbursed. By the end of episode one we find that just the three that were featured were scammed out of nearly $60,000.

Hollywood Con Queen, filled with the allure of Hollywood big life, complete with the most powerful and well-known producers, directors, and studio moguls, and of course, the most common belief about Hollywood that careers are built on transactional sex.

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In episode two, "A Different Animal" we see in a bizarre twist, the Con Queen finds unexpected success in London. With new leads in hand, Scott travels the globe to hunt them down. In episode three, "Thank You for the Story," after finding the Con Queen in Manchester, Scott sets out to learn about their past and motives before law enforcement closes in.

By episode three, we are understanding the Con Queen is a master manipulator. Throughout the conversations he plays every sympathy card in the deck; he had an impoverished and troubled youth, his family disowned him, he was sent to religious conversion therapy to rid him of the gay spirit, his share of his estate was stolen, I don't remember if he said he had cancer, but certainly an illness, then he began to play the friendship card, explaining how much he needed the time he spent with the reporter.

By the end he is explaining, he is the nicest criminal you would ever met and why he believes he should not be held responsible and clearly not go to prison. He next scam will be talking the prison guards out of the keys. 

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As someone who has been on the receiving end of the scam artist, his statements were textbook scammer language meant to elicit sympathy, emotion, as he, like all those who target, when all the cards are played and still no sympathy, then you reverse the deck and suddenly become the victim. Which is what the Con Queen did.

Hollywood Con Queen is an explosive, astonishing, limited series, that packs a decade of victims, and the hunt, based on one tip, that brought down the Con Queen's operation into three episodes. The story is intriguing, and for this scam artist the wheels of justice, albeit slowly, finally moved and he was arrested in London. For the countless other scams, in songwriting or television writing, or other creative outlets, using the same playbook and hiding behind a power firm, and not a single individual, the wheels of justice have yet to be pried from its rusted state.

Hollywood Con Queen is a must see. All episodes are set to air May 8, 2024 on Apple TV.

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Country: U.S.

Language: English, Indonesia with subtitles.

Runtime: 3 episodes/157 minutes.

Director: Chris Smith.

Producer: Ben Anderson, Scott Johnson, Chris Smith.

Writer: Scott Johnson.

Cast: Scott Johnson, Nicole Kotsianas.