Summary
There’s not much to be excited about while watching Lords of Scam. It’s dull, full of unlikeable individuals, and feels a whole lot longer than its actual runtime.
This review of Netflix true crime documentary Lords of Scam does not contain spoilers.
Lords of Scam is a French true-crime documentary that delves into the story of a group of scammers who whilst were successful in conning the EU carbon quota system, later found themselves imprisoned after turning on each other. With a runtime of just 1hr 45 minutes, it would seem that Lords of Scam would be an easy watch, right?
As is the case with these kinds of documentaries, there are interviews with all the key players involved, some of whom have spent significant time behind bars for their involvement in the scam. But the major problem is the pace of the show is so slow it’s hard not to fall asleep. The individuals involved, in particular Mardoche Mouly, are so unlikable. Throughout the documentary, does Mouly show any regret over his actions? It doesn’t seem like it. To be quite honest, Mouly comes across as the kind of person who would double-cross anyone and everyone to get his hands of a little bit of cash. It’s not an enjoyable watch, nor is it entertaining. With that in mind, if you’re able to put the unpleasant personalities aside, there’s a (very) small chance you could enjoy Lords of Scam.
Not only is the documentary dull, but it features some of the most pointless shots/scenes. I honestly don’t understand why Lords of Scam had to include a shot of Mouly in the shower. It doesn’t exactly provide any insight into the scam, which is arguably the main reason audiences will be watching/turning off. Despite the overwhelming amount of dull sequences in Lords of Scam, there is clearly a lot of tension and anger from Mouly. None more so than when he snaps, “Don’t put that in, we’re in front of a camera, 42 million people will see this”. Sadly, this is about as intense as the documentary gets.
There’s a slight improvement from the ending, although, just like real life, it has no clear answers. Although I’m sure they’ll find something far more exciting to watch.
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