NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! Tom Waller and Eoin O’Brien’s true-life thriller, Kiss of the Con Queen, exposes one of the most prolific catfish scams in Hollywood history.
The film’s writer, Eoin O’Brien, stars as Ryan Owens, a slightly fictionalized version of himself. Ryan is a struggling actor trying to jumpstart his acting career in Thailand. While on the cattle call rounds, Ryan receives a phone call from an associate producer of Zack Snyder’s wife, Deborah. She wants to cast Ryan in one of the upcoming Justice League movies.
Excited about the opportunity, Deborah asks Ryan to do a self-tape of a love scene that appears in the script. An anxious Ryan initially questions the request but really wants the job, and he agrees. Deborah is very pleased with his “performance.”
Now, all Ryan has to do is fly to Indonesia to meet her team and shoot an audition. Because of the corruption in Indonesia, Ryan will need some cash for shooting permits, and of course, Hollywood producer Deborah Snyder will reimburse him.
As Ryan moves from location to location, his driver constantly makes him late, so no shooting is ever done. At each location, a permit fee is required. When Ryan runs out of money, he asks his father to wire him funds. In between shoots, Ryan is also practicing more love scenes with Deborah Snyder.
Hopefully, you’re seeing that Ryan is getting catfished by a fake Deborah Snyder, having his finances drained, and building a bank of blackmail footage. To add to the danger, Ryan is in an unfamiliar country, where locals are involved in the scam, and soon Ryan realizes that he’s not the only one being scammed.
“…Ryan is getting catfished by a fake Deborah Snyder, having his finances drained…”
The actual Hollywood Con Queen had scammed over 1,200 other writers, producers, directors, stunt coordinators, and actors for years. She preyed on their desire for that one big break and strung them along for their money and her pleasure.
The second half of Kiss of the Con Queen documents how Ryan and other victims found one another and worked together with the FBI to take down the Con Queen once and for all.
One interesting fact to know going in is that this is the true story of the film’s writer, Eoin O’Brien. Part of the film features him actually writing his story and trying to sell it to producers. What also helps is that because this is O’Brien’s story, you realize that all the insane things that he had to do were absolutely true. It’s unbelievable at times, but the lure of Hollywood is what perpetuated the ‘casting couch’ culture for decades.
In the end, Ryan had to have the courage to speak out and tell his story over social media, which encouraged others to share their experience with the Con Queen. In fact, her reach was vast as she took on the personas of Kathleen Kennedy, Amy Pascal, and other high-profile female producers.
Eoin’s story is captivating, and if you love movies or stories about scammers, Kiss of the Con Queen is a must-see. It’s completely dramatized with a bit of comedy and action thrills to spice things up. O’Brien admits that his involvement in the motorcycle chase down the streets of Jakarta may have been added for “Hollywood” sake.
Speaking of the Con Queen, she is played by the brilliant Ravi Patel. His final con and ultimate reveal is incredible and one of the highlights of the film. You should see it solely on this one performance.
Kiss of the Con Queen is a captivating blend of thriller, comedy, and drama. Eoin O’Brien delivers a story that’s as gripping as it is bizarre. The fact that it’s based on O’Brien’s own experience adds a layer of authenticity to the film’s wild ride through Hollywood’s underbelly. As they say, Truth really is stranger than fiction!
Kiss of the Con Queen screened at the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival.
"…one of the most prolific catfish scams in Hollywood history."
