Netflix viewers have been treated this month, whether it’s from the release of the highly anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things or its recent addition of BAFTA-winning film Catch Me If You Can to its library.

The crime caper film was originally released in 2002 and focused on the life of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale, who documented his exploits in his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can. The film was incredibly popular, earning a win at the BAFTA awards, and a further three nominations at the ceremony. It was also nominated for two Academy Awards, while winning at the SAG Awards.

Audiences of the time were also enthralled with the film’s narrative. After being shot on a $52 million budget, the film generated a whopping $352.1 million at the box office.

A synopsis for the film reads: “Frank Abagnale, Jr. works as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline, all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he is a brilliant forger, whose skill gives him his first real claim to fame. At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. becomes the most successful bank robber in the history of the U.S. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty makes it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him.”

Fan reaction

With such a huge prestige, fans were highly excited to tune into the film, and it’s currently sitting in sixth place on Netflix’s charts, according to FlixPatrol.

On social media, one viewer enthused: “Catch Me If You Can is coming back to Netflix! Yay my comfort film,” while a second added: “They put Catch Me If You Can on Netflix, movie night sorted.”

Still from Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio walking with a group of female flight attendants© Moviestore/Shutterstock
Fans have been streaming the popular film

A third posted: “Catch Me If You Can is on Netflix, one of my favourite films,” while a fourth penned: “Check out Catch Me If You Can on Netflix. I haven’t watched this one in a while. Great cast, great movie based on a true story of a con who forged countless bank checks to cash in money. A bit long, but enjoyable.”

Meanwhile, a fifth commented: “Spielberg’s movie is rich with fascinating details and memorable incidents, while the script by Jeff Nathanson moves backward and forward in time to tell the story in the most engrossing way possible. This is top-notch entertainment.“

Critical reception

Alongside its awards, the film received near universal acclaims from critics, holding a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Veteran movie critic Roger Ebert wrote: “This is not a major Spielberg film, although it is an effortlessly watchable one.”

Still from Catch Me If You Can featuring Tom Hanks and agents pulling a gun on a man in a car© THA/Shutterstock
The film was universally praised

Fellow critic James Berardinelli also wrote: “Catch Me If You Can never takes itself or its subjects too seriously, and contains more genuinely funny material than about 90% of the so-called ‘comedies’ found in multiplexes these days.”

However, one major critique of the film was its length. A review in Time Out read: “Far more modest in ambition than most Spielbergs, and so less portentous and bombastic, this is the director’s most likeable film in ages, even if it’s insubstantial, overlong and, frankly, a touch redundant.”

Who stars in Catch Me If You Can?

By today’s standards, Catch Me If You Can has a verified A-list cast, with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen. Leonardo played Frank Abagnale Jr., with Christopher playing his father, Frank Abagnale Sr. Tom starred in the film as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, a fictionalised version of real-life agent Joseph Shea, while Martin portrayed Roger Strong, a lawyer in charge of a hospital’s legal department.

Still image of Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can© Dreamworks/Everett/Shutterstock
Tom Hanks portrayed a fictional version of FBI agent John Shea

Also starring in the film are the likes of Nathalie Baye (Downton Abbey: A New Era), Amy Adams (Arrival), James Brolin (The Amityville Horror), Nancy Lenehan (Pleasantville), Brian Howe (The Pursuit of Happyness), Frank John Hughes (The Sopranos) and Chris Ellis (Planet of the Apes).

Also featuring in the film were Ellen Pompeo (Gray’s Anatomy), Jennifer Garner (Time of Your Life), Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect), John Finn (Cold Case), Candice Azzara (Ocean’s Twelve), Malachi Throne (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Alfred Dennis (The Jerk), Amy Acker (The Gifted), Kaitlin Doubleday (Empire), Guy Thauvette (Cargo), Thomas Kopache (The West Wing), James Morrison (24) and Robert Symonds (The Exorcist).