Netflix’s original documentary, The Tinder Swindler, has become a hit with viewers worldwide and is now the first documentary to top the streaming site’s weekly film viewing chart.
According to Deadline, the movie clocked 45.8 million hours viewed globally since Jan. 31, hitting the top 10 in 92 countries.
The film centers around a con artist, Simon Leviev, who used the popular dating app Tinder to find women, eventually emotionally manipulating them and tricking them into parting ways with huge amounts of money, which he uses to fund his very lavish lifestyle.
Leviev was born Shimon Hayut, and he presented himself as the son of Lev Leviev, a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul. His charming and desirable demeanor helped him lure tons of women into his scheme, attracting them with his lifestyle, and spoiling them with gifts and trips, paid for by money he had acquired from previous victims.
The Tinder Swindler has received positive reviews. The Times labeled the documentary a “thrilling tale of romantic deception” and called it the “Jaws of internet dating documentaries”. In a review by The Guardian, it was praised for being “snappy and smart and leaves you wanting more, rather than scraping the barrel for every possible angle.”
The film was directed by Felicity Morris and produced by RAW, AGC Studios and Gaspin Media. Leviev is currently a free man, while the women he swindled in the documentary are still paying off their debts. The film is currently available to stream on Netflix.
