While some heist movies excite their audiences with violence and action, others offer more intriguing and intelligent plans. Many of thebest heist moviesglamorize the act of robbery, portraying suave thieves who outsmart their marks, rather than intimidating them. It’s a joy to see a clever plan being executed well, and heist movies offer a chance to root for the bad guys for once. In the twisted morality of the heist genre, intelligence, bravery and efficiency can be more attractive traits than lawfulness.
The heist genre first developed in its current form as an offshoot of film noir crime dramas. Movies likeThe KillingandRififistrike a balance between gritty action and clever schemes. Crime capers in the 1950s and 1960s ushered in a new style of heist movies, ones in which the criminals win more often than not, often without killing anyone or even using guns. These heist movies offer a subversive fantasy that has remained just as exciting for decades.
Snatchis all about the chaotic aftermath of a heist, rather than the build-up. This isn’t unusual for a heist movie -A Fish Called Wanda, Reservoir DogsandTime to Huntall do the same - but it’s rare for such movies to feature such creative crimes.Reservoir Dogs, for example, doesn’t even show the robbery in progress.Snatch’s opening sequence is the perfect introduction to one ofGuy Ritchie’s best movies.
Snatch’s opening sequence is the perfect introduction to one of Guy Ritchie’s best movies.
As the credits pop up, Ritchie shows CCTV monitors of four criminals dressed as orthodox Jewish men debating religious philosophy as they enter a diamond trading center in Antwerp.Their disguises provide them with the perfect cover, as they can hide their identities without masks, and they are even allowed to bypass the metal detectors, since they seem so harmless. Ritchie changes the pace once they get to their target and pull their guns out, creating an unforgettable intro that sets the events of the entire movie in motion.
The Lavender Hill Mobis a classic Ealing comedy, and a British crime caper in the same tradition asThe LadykillersandThe Italian Job.The plot follows a disillusioned bank clerk who has put up with his rigid 9-5 for far too long, so he decides to rob his own employer. His proximity to the case means that he can throw off the investigators at every turn with false information, and he is even treated as a hero for trying to stop the heist.
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The real stroke of genius in the plan is the decision to smuggle the gold out of the country by melting it down and creating fake Eiffel Tower souvenirs to be sent to Paris.This plan would work perfectly, if not for a legendary streak of bad luck that’s only possible in a farcical comedy. Not only are the wrong Eiffel Tower souvenirs sold, but one of the incriminating pieces of evidence is sold to the daughter of a police officer who has taken a keen interest in molecular analysis.
The Wrong Trousersis a short film, but it manages to include a more elaborate and detailed criminal plot than many feature-length heist movies. TheWallace and Gromitclassic sees a new lodger coming to stay at West Wallaby Street. The penguin is soon revealed to be the criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw, who disguises himself as a rooster by wearing a red rubber glove on his head.
Feathers McGraw’s plan involves reprogramming Gromit’s new automatic dog-walking machine so that he can operate Wallace as a puppet while he sleeps and steal a priceless diamond from the Natural History Museum.Other animated heist movies, likeFantastic Mr. FoxandRuben Brandt, Collector,don’t aim for such nerve-shredding tension, butThe Wrong Trousersis both hilarious and intelligent. Feathers McGraw is set to make a comeback after over 30 years in the upcomingWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
Just as theFast and Furiousfranchiseseemed to be running out of fuel,Fast Fiverevitalized the series with a completely new style of action movie. The street-racing franchise expanded its horizons in an instant, taking inspiration from the heist genre. Things have gotten bigger, louder and sillier ever since, butFast Fiveis perfectly measured. The plot follows Dom and his crew as they attempt to pull off an audacious heist in Brazil with law enforcement breathing down their necks every step of the way.
Dom’s plan ticks all the boxes of a traditional heist thriller, with a ragtag crew, some hacking wizardy and plenty of intelligent diversions to keep the mark and the audience guessing.
Dom’s plan ticks all the boxes of a traditional heist thriller, with a ragtag crew, some hacking wizardy and plenty of intelligent diversions to keep the mark and the audience guessing.Naturally,Fast and Furious' take on a heist movie focuses heavily on the getaway. The scene in which Dom and Brian drag an entire vault through the streets delivers the kind of action that the franchise is known for, but the moment when the vaults are switched adds another layer to the scheme that puts it over the top.
Goldfingerisn’t what most people would think of when they think of a heist movie, but theJames Bondthriller sees 007 trying to foil Auric Goldfinger’s plan to break into Fort Knox. The movie changes his scheme a little from Ian Fleming’s novel.In the movie, Goldfinger doesn’t plan on simply stealing the gold, because moving it would be too heavy and slow.Instead, he plans to detonate a dirty bomb inside Fort Knox, irradiating America’s gold reserves for generations, thereby making his own stock skyrocket in value.
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This simple change makes Goldfinger’s plan even more intelligent. The only reason he doesn’t get away with it is that his second-in-command, Pussy Galore, gets cold feet and rats him out to the CIA. It seems as though Bond’s legendary powers of seduction foil a terrorist attack, since he’s largely responsible for Pussy’s change of heart. Goldfinger’s intelligence and odd charms make him an iconic Bond villain, and he contributes to one of thebestJames Bondmoviesof all.
Before the gritty violence of 1970s thrillers,heist movies in the 1960swere characterized by elegance and intelligence. Movies likeHow to Steal a Million, The Thomas Crown AffairandTopkapiportray stylish thieves who use brains instead of brawn.Gambitis much the same, as a cockney grifter hatches a fiercely intelligent plan, but the crime comedy proves the inescapable truth that all plans are useless when real life intervenes.
Gambitproves the inescapable truth that all plans are useless when real life intervenes.
Gambit’s first half presents one of the most brilliant heist plans in film history, which involves using a woman who looks like the mark’s deceased wife to gain access to his private quarters. After the plan is laid out in its entirety,Gambitshows what happens when just about everything goes wrong, starting with the fact that the lookalike is obnoxious and bratty, and ending with the unfortunate speed bump that the hero falls in love with her.
Steven Soderbergh is the director ofOut of Sightand theOcean’sfranchise, so it should come as no surprise to see thatLogan Luckyis also one of the best heist thrillers in recent memory. Just like these other movies,Logan Luckybalances its intelligent heist plan with plenty of humor. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are both on top form as two brothers trying to banish their family’s history of bad luck by pulling a heist on a motor speedway.
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Jimmy and Clyde Logan don’t fit the mold of most criminal masterminds. The former construction worker and the bartender still manage to come up with a genius plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s an unlikely setting for a heist movie, but this just givesLogan Luckythe chance to be extra original.Their plan nails all the fine details, and they have a string of great ideas, like putting the roaches into the tube system to find where the money from concessions is sent.
The Dark Knighttakes inspiration from the crime genre, starting with an opening sequence that barely resembles a superhero movie at all. The Joker’s bank heist is the perfect introduction to his character, showing that he’s intelligent, ruthless and always one step ahead. It’s also a great way to start an action-packed movie that blends crime and superhero tropes. From the outset,The Dark Knightstarts mounting its case as one of the best action movies of the 21st century.
The Joker’s heist is so gripping because it seems so realistic.The heist scenes inAnt-ManandRogue Oneshow that genre movies often go for eye-popping spectacle, even if this makes it harder to relate to the specifics.The Dark Knightparks its more eccentric influences to begin with. The plan is completely original, with the clever detail that each robber takes out one of his accomplices, but it maintains a weighty realism.
Inside Manstarts with Dalton speaking directly to camera, laying out his current circumstances and stating plainly that he has recently orchestrated an ambitious robbery. It seems as though he’s in prison, but this merely sets up one of many clever twists that the story has to offer. From the outset, Dalton appears intelligent and remarkably calm, and he maintains his composure throughout his heist.
The core idea is brilliant, but he also has some clever touches, like rotating the hostages in different rooms to add to the confusion.
Inside Man’s heistis consistently surprising. The audience is placed in the shoes of Denzel Washington’s detective character, as he reacts to every curveball that comes his way. Ultimately, he is left just as bewildered as anyone. Dalton’s plan to stay inside the bank works so well because he releases the hostages unharmed and leaves the money in the vault untouched. The core idea is brilliant, but he also has some clever touches, like rotating the hostages in different rooms to add to the confusion.
The entire allure of Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 heist thrillerOcean’s Elevencomes from the charms of the main cast and the intricacy of the plan. It’s a joy to see such a complex and carefully plotted plan being put in motion, and the audience can’t help but root for Danny Ocean and his crew.He and Rusty string together plenty of ideas from their criminal playbook, honed from years of work. Their most cunning idea is showing Benedict footage from a replica of his own vault.
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The third act ofOcean’s Elevenprovides a steady flow of glorious payoff, as the crew’s mysterious behavior from earlier in the movie is finally clarified. The heist sequence also shows precisely how each member of the crew plays their part in the plan, from the remote-controlled car drivers to the explosives expert. TheOcean’sfranchise never quite matched the sheer joy of the first movie in Soderbergh’s trilogy, but freshreports ofOcean’s 14suggest that Danny, Rusty and the gang could have another chance.
