Swindle

Swindle

Year: 2013

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Jonathan Judge

ComedyCrime

Griffin accidentally sells a valuable baseball card for far less than it’s worth, resulting in a significant financial loss. Determined to recover the card, he teams up with his best friend Ben and a group of associates to devise a plan and reclaim what he’s lost. Their scheme involves tricking the man who bought the card, leading to a series of comedic and unexpected events.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Swindle (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Swindle (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The story unfolds in contemporary times with modern technology, social maneuvering, and online news about the card’s value. The characters rely on gadgets, hacking, and pop-culture props to execute their plan. The events sit within today’s collectible market and media landscape, giving a real-world relevance to the caper.

Location

Lakeshore Hotel, Swindell's Pawn Shop, Ben Dupree's Family Home

The Lakeshore Hotel is the central setting for the auction and the disguises. Swindell's Pawn Shop is where the Honus Wagner card is initially found and sets the caper in motion. Ben Dupree's Family Home provides background on the family finances and the father’s inventive world, grounding the plan in personal stakes.

🏨 Hotel 🧩 Heist 🏠 Family

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

Main Characters – Swindle (2013)

Meet the key characters of Swindle (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Griffin Bing (Noah Crawford)

A resourceful teen with leadership instincts who plans the caper and tries to keep the team focused. He is quick-thinking, sometimes cocky, and wary of letting Melissa join, but grows to value everyone’s contribution.

🕵️‍♂️ Teen Leader 🗺️ Planner 🗣️ Charismatic

Ben Dupree (Christopher O'Neal)

The science-minded friend whose family’s money troubles and his father’s risky inventions propel the crew’s mission. He is loyal, practical, and supportive of his friends, bridging home life with the caper.

🧪 Inventor’s Son 🧭 Loyal ⚡ Practical

Amanda Benson (Ariana Grande)

A geeky, tech-savvy strategist who brings gadgets and pop-culture know-how to the team. She is brave, witty, and willing to embarrass herself to advance the mission.

💡 Geek 🧠 Strategist

Savannah Westcott (Jennette McCurdy)

An aspiring actress who uses charm and access to navigate social spaces. She finds herself involved in the plan and contributes with social manipulation and resourceful improvisation.

🎭 Actress 🗝️ Access 😄 Charmer

Melissa Bing (Ciara Bravo)

Griffin’s younger sister and a skilled hacker who proves essential by disabling alarms. She starts on the edge of the plan but earns a key role through her technical prowess.

💻 Hacker 🧩 Quick-thinker

Darren Vader (Noah Munck)

The team’s muscle and steady presence; he provides physical support and a sense of humor. He helps keep the plan grounded and protects teammates during the risky moments.

💪 Muscle 🛡️ Protector

Paul Swindell (Fred Ewanuick)

The slick pawn shop owner who suspects nothing at first and then reinforces the conflicts with his greed. A foil to the teen team, his scheming drives the central conflict.

🧑‍💼 Antagonist 🤑 Swindler

Ivan Volkov (Gardiner Millar)

A mysterious buyer posed as the real collector, whose intentions escalate tension. The reveal shows a deeper manipulation behind the auction and ties the plan to a personal angle.

🎯 Collector 🕵️‍♂️ Mastermind

Anton Lefevre (Sandy Robson)

A wealthy businessman orchestrating an auction spectacle, whose interest in rare cards becomes the catalyst for the group’s caper. His role adds a layer of high-stakes tension.

💼 Millionaire 🗂️ Auctioneer

Ben Dupree's Father (Chris Shields)

An inventive father whose failed inventions push the family toward financial strain, yet his creation—iGotit—ultimately influences the competition and offers a hopeful turn.

👨‍🔬 Inventor 🧭 Family

Ben Dupree's Mother (Lucia Walters)

A supportive parent whose presence grounds the family’s efforts and underscores the personal stakes behind the caper.

👩‍👧 Family 🫶 Supportive

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

Major Themes – Swindle (2013)

Explore the central themes of Swindle (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🤝 Teamwork

A diverse group of teens pool their skills—planning, hacking, charm, and brawn—to tackle a risky caper. Each member's strengths compensate for others' weaknesses, showing that cooperation beats solitary effort. The heist relies on trust, quick shifts in roles, and a shared goal.

🧠 Cunning

The plan hinges on misdirection, disguises, and clever use of pop culture props. The team adapts to setbacks—like exposure or suspicion—by improvising and exploiting the target's ego. The movie highlights the thrill of outsmarting a more powerful adversary.

💰 Greed vs Generosity

Swindell's greed drives the conflict, while the protagonists redirect the spoils toward meaningful ends. The story shows how money can enable helping friends, family, and even strangers in need. The final choices emphasize using wealth for communal good rather than personal gain.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:05

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Clever Teenage Heist Comedies like Swindle

Resourceful young teams pulling off elaborate, low-stakes capers with wit and charm.If you enjoyed the clever, fast-paced fun of Swindle, you'll love these movies about resourceful teenage teams. This list features similar comedies where witty friends pull off elaborate capers and schemes, leading to satisfying and cheerful conclusions. Find more movies like Swindle that capture the playful energy of a low-stakes heist.

cleverplayfulresourcefulmischievoussatisfyingenergeticteamwork

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a group of young protagonists who, faced with a specific injustice or goal, devise a complex but witty plan to achieve it. The story unfolds through the stages of recruitment, planning, and execution, with humorous obstacles and twists that test their resourcefulness and bond, culminating in a triumphant and morally clear victory.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a specific blend of youthful energy, clever plotting, and a lighthearted tone. They prioritize fun, intellectual challenge over physical danger, and the satisfaction of seeing a well-laid plan come together, making them a cohesive and uplifting subgenre.

Lighthearted Caper Movies similar to Swindle

Playful stories of clever deceptions where the journey is more fun than the stakes.Looking for more movies like Swindle? This list features fun and clever caper stories where the focus is on a witty scheme and a playful team. Discover similar comedies and crime films with light tones, fast pacing, and satisfying conclusions where cleverness triumphs. Perfect for fans of cheerful, resourceful deception stories.

cleverplayfulmischievoussatisfyingcheerfulresourcefuldeceptivecomeuppance

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around a protagonist or team wronged in a minor way, who responds not with violence but with an intricate, often humorous, plan to outsmart their opponent. The structure highlights the clever setup, the execution with its comedic hiccups, and the ultimate comeuppance for the antagonist, rewarding the protagonists' ingenuity.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by a shared emphasis on intellectual victory through deception, all wrapped in a light, comedic tone. The similarity lies in the joyful execution of a plan, the absence of genuine peril, and the overall feeling of clever fun that makes the caper genre so appealing.

Unlock the Full Story of Swindle

Don't stop at just watching — explore Swindle in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Swindle is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Swindle Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Swindle, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Swindle Summary

Swindle Timeline

Track the full timeline of Swindle with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Swindle Timeline

Swindle Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Swindle that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Swindle Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Swindle

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Swindle: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Swindle