A comedy-drama film starring Leonardo DiCaprio has been praised as a “masterpiece” – and will be leaving Netflix soon. Viewers have a last chance to watch the film over the next few weeks.
Catch Me If You Can, directed by award-winning Steven Spielberg, follows a runaway teenager who impersonates several professions and forges cheques, prompting FBI agent, Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks, to chase after him.
The story is based on the semi-autobiographical book by Frank Abangnale Jr., who claimed that he committed million-dollar crimes before his 19th birthday. The film features other big stars like Amy Adams, Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen.
The Steven Spielberg film, released in 2002, earned the director a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Director in 2003 and Christopher Walken a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Catch Me If You Can has earned a successful 8.1 out of 10 stars on IMDb and a whopping 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t win any major awards for Catch Me If You Can, the film earned him his nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globe Awards.
Netflix took to social media last year to call the film a “cinematic masterpiece”, sharing a clip from the movie alongside the caption.
It seems most film fanatics agree with Rotten Tomatoes reviewers hailing the film as one of Spielberg’s “best” and praising its “impeccable cast and performances.”
Another Rotten Tomatoes reviewer agreed, adding: “Love this film so much. The writing is absolutely incredible and fits hand in hand with a phenomenal story that at some parts feel unbelievable.”
One viewer called Catch Me If you Can a classic film, writing: “So much fun, I could watch this movie again and again, wonderfully charming and with such lovable personalities, DiCaprio, Spielberg, and Hanks work their absolute best make this movie a classic.”
While only a few users criticise the film, with one user calling it “boring” some add a disclaimer that they “still haven’t watched [the full] movie.”
The film went on to gross $164.6 million (£120 million) in North America and a worldwide total of $352.1 million (£258 million).
It will leave Netflix on 3 June, 2026.