Michael Vaughn (Rich Sommer) claims to have psychic powers that enable him to communicate with the dead. He's even written a books about it, but his latest one hasn't been selling well. Nathan (Clifton Collins Jr.) kidnaps Michael because he believes that he knows where he buried the body of someone he had killed years ago. However, Michael talks him about of continuing with the kidnapping by persuading him that he can use his psychic powers to help him seek forgiveness from Stacy (Amanda Crew), the daughter of the Nathan's victim, if the victim's buried corpse can be found. He hopes that his newfound fame will boost his career in psychic forensics.

      It's no spoiler to state that Michael is merely pretending to be a psychic. His mother (Amy Madigan) and father (Ed Harris) know the truth, but Nathan and the public do not. He even dupes a motel clerk (Randee Heller) that he can communicate with her deceased husband who believes him even though he gets some key details wrong. Perhaps she's too blinded by the fact that she wants to believe Michael. Either way, Michael comes across as an asshole for playing with her emotions and lying to her as well as others, such as Stacy. A televised interview with him and Stacy shows just how unprepared he is when it comes to being questioned about the validity of his psychic powers. Fortunately, Rich Sommer is just the right actor to play Michael. He gives a charismatic performance that makes Michael likable despite his actions. Don't be surprised if you'll find yourself rooting for him even if you might feel guilty about it. He's not a bad person; just a very flawed one who makes poor decisions while going on a slippery slope. It's easy to see why Michael is capable of duping others because he does have a charming personality and a way with words. He'd fit right into the world of politics if he were to become a politician.

      The screenplay by Andrew Zilch has just the right amount of satire, drama, comic relief and thrills. It never becomes over-the-top, nor does it become lethargic, pretentious nor schmaltzy. Trevor White keeps the film moving along at an appropriately brisk pace without resorting to using shaky cam or excessively stylish visuals. This is the kind of movie that has enough of a strong story and characters to keep you engaged throughout. Kudos to Zilch for providing the audience with a glimpse of Michael's childhood and the dysfunctional relationship his has with his parents which helps to humanize him and to serve as as a psychological explanation of why he's so fucked up as an adult. Although the screenplay doesn't take any big risks nor does it have any surprises along the way, that's forgivable. Predictability can be forgiven when the characters are convincing, complex and interesting enough to allow for you to forget that the wheels of the screenplay are turning---you might even forget any contrivances or implausibilities which do indeed occur throughout the film. A little suspension of disbelief goes a long way. At a running time of 102 minutes, A Crooked Somebody is a captivating, wickedly funny and provocative satire with a breakthrough performance by Rich Sommer.