← Binge

Sneaky Pete (2015)

2015 · Comedy,Crime,Drama · mob-organized-crime, contemporary-realistic, crime-procedural

Sneaky Pete poster

Sneaky Pete is a slick, propulsive American con-man drama in which a career grifter assumes the identity of his prison cellmate to hide from a violent gangster — only to find himself embedded in the cellmate's warm but complicated family. Built around Giovanni Ribisi's career-best performance, the show excels at constructing elaborate cons with satisfying mini-payoffs that build toward high-stakes season finales. The tone blends dark crime thriller tension with flashes of family drama warmth and dry humor. Seasons 1 and 2 are widely regarded as prestige-tier, fast-paced television comparable to early Breaking Bad; Season 3 is seen as a notable step down following a production team change. It rewards binge viewing and is particularly suited to fans of clever, character-driven crime narratives.

From the reviewers

The way they set up and execute the cons are fascinating. Ribisi is just phenomenal in this, it's probably his best role of his career.
Those 20 episodes contain some of the most fast-paced, tense and almost anxiety-inducing elements in a TV show since - dare I say it - "Breaking Bad".
Ribisi and McRae visibly grow tired of their respective characters and there are lot of strange, forced throwaway scenes. Overall the actin/writing sort of just fizzles towards the end
I noticed a complete lack of return of the writing and production staff from those first two seasons - especially Graham Yost, a master screenwriter of the fast-paced action-thriller genre.
The plot starts as a family drama and slowly weaves in a con plot while rapidly picking up pace and creating the tensest experience I ever had while watching TV. It's masterfully crafted.

Explore all 293 prestige TV dramas on Binge →

The Curator's Index

Binge.

Curated Prestige Streaming

Opening up shop.

← Sightlines · the film atlas

Curated Prestige Streaming

Find shows to watch based on real reviewer language. No collaborative filtering, no popularity boost. Your taste is the only algorithm here.

The collection

shows

Browse the library. Filter by sub-genre, register, era, or popularity tier. Click a show to see its full characterization.