F for Fake

Name: F for Fake
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1973-09-01
Duration: 1 h 29 min
Rating: 7.4
Cast: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Elmyr de Hory, Clifford Irving, Laurence Harvey

1973·Movie·PG·89 min·★ 7.4(365)

Documentary More French titles

“A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician.”

Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch F for Fake in United States

Can I watch F for Fake in United States? Yes — you can stream F for Fake in United States on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, and Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

Stream

HBO Max Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open F for Fake there. Availability last verified on August 3, 2026.

Where is F for Fake streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store
Canada	Criterion Channel	Apple TV Store
Australia	—	Apple TV Store
France	—	Canal VOD, Orange VOD, LaCinetek
Spain	Filmin	—

About F for Fake

F for Fake is a 1973 French-language documentary film directed by Orson Welles and François Reichenbach. The cast is led by Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Elmyr de Hory. It has a runtime of 1h 29m. Viewers rate it 7.4/10 across 400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel.

F for Fake was produced by SACI, Les Films de l'Astrophore, and Janus Film und Fernsehen and made in France and Germany. It was released on September 1, 1973, and carries a PG certification.

Director: Orson Welles, François Reichenbach
Writers: Orson Welles, François Reichenbach
Release date: September 1, 1973
Original language: French
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: France, Germany
Production: SACI, Les Films de l'Astrophore, Janus Film und Fernsehen

#artist#manipulation#illusion#deception#ibiza#essay film#forgery#forger#trickery

F for Fake cast & crew

F for Fake was directed by Orson Welles and François Reichenbach and written by Orson Welles and François Reichenbach.

The cast features Orson Welles as Self, Oja Kodar as The Girl, Elmyr de Hory as Self, Clifford Irving as Self, Laurence Harvey as Self, and Edith Irving as Self.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Michel Legrand, cinematography is by François Reichenbach, and it was produced by Dominique Antoine and François Reichenbach.

Is F for Fake worth watching?

F for Fake holds an audience score of 7.4/10 from 365 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed documentary films.

At 1h 29m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy documentary, F for Fake is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch F for Fake

In United States, you can stream F for Fake on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.