The heist genre encompasses a wide range of movies, from tense thrillers to playful comedies, so it’s easy for some great films to go unnoticed. While most people will have heard of the best heist movies ever, there are plenty of hidden gems for fans ofOcean’s Eleven, HeatandDog Day Afternoon.
The kind of heist movies that slip through the cracks are often the ones which question the long-held traditions of the genre. While these movies may lack mainstream appeal, they can be much more interesting and unpredictable than more formulaic heist thrillers.
There aren’t manyheist movies based on real life, because the fantasy of a perfect score is usually more alluring than the awkward or violent reality of actual crime.American Animalsexplores this distinction like no other movie, showing how an idealistic portrait of a robbery can clash with reality.
American Animalsis a unique blend of narrative fiction and documentary, pairing a fictionalized crime story with sporadic interviews from the real-life perpetrators.This allows the film to interrogate the very basis of the heist genre, as the conflicted thieves don’t seem so heroic.
Triple Frontierfeatures many of the biggest tropes of the heist genre, but it feels much more real and dangerous than the average criminal fantasy. Ben Affleck leads a superb cast inTriple Frontier,which follows a group of ex-Special Ops agents who decide to use their skills for themselves for once.
There’s an edgy anti-authoritarian streak toTriple Frontier,which uses crime as a means to redress the injustices that American veterans face. While the action and the meticulous military planning are thrilling to watch,Triple Frontiertouches on some harsh truths about life after combat.
How to Steal a Millionis the perfect example of1960s heist movies, which prioritized style and swagger over the gritty brutality of earlier film noir crime movies. Filmed on location in Paris,How to Steal a Millionstars Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn, with her wardrobe supplied by Givenchy.
How to Steal a Millionwas one of William Wyler’s last movies, and it clearly benefits from his five decades of previous experience.It’s the kind of erudite, intelligent rom-com that’s easy to get wrapped up in, but it doesn’t neglect its duty to providing an exciting heist narrative either.
Heist movies usually try to set the personal stakes of the robbery before things get moving, but the subtext is clear that the thieves and the audience should both be more concerned with trying to have fun. Steve McQueen’sWidowsis more about desperation and survival.
Widowsis a pulse-raising thriller that gives audiences a lot to think about. It gets a lot of its vitality from the way that it subverts the heist genre, but it also has an exciting script that fleshes out the characters in a grisly Chicago crime drama. Viola Davis is at her best, but she’s just one part of an excellent ensemble cast.
Time to Hunthas a thrilling heist narrative, as a team of thieves with specific skills band together to knock off a casino. However, this is merely the beginning, andTime to Huntsuddenly shifts into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse, with the thieves being pursued relentlessly by a sadistic assassin hired to take revenge.
Time to Huntoften resembles a slasher movie, or a lost entry in theTerminatorfranchise. There’s a grim inevitability to the chase that keeps the tension high, especially as the thieves are picked off one-by-one all over the country.Time to Huntgleefully spoils the normal feeling of euphoria that comes after a movie heist.
Jesse Eisenberg and Ruben Fleischer worked together onNow You See Me,one of the most successful heist movies of the 21st century, but two years earlier they teamed up for30 Minutes or Less.It’s clear that30 Minutes or Lessdoesn’t have as much mainstream appeal, butthere’s a lot to love about this offbeat crime comedy.
30 Minutes or Lesswas the subject of some controversy when it first came out, since it bears some similarities to a real-life crime. Some might find that the comedy of30 Minutes or Lessis in bad taste. At best, it’s extremely dark and unique. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface, however, revealing a more nuanced sentiment.
The Killingisn’t often ranked as one ofStanley Kubrick’s best movies, but that says more about the overall quality of his filmography than it does about the heist thriller.The Killingwas one of the films that helped form the heist genre in the 1950s, and it’s interesting to see how many of the genre’s biggest traditions are already fully formed.
The Killingis a violent crime thriller with a touch of class.Its use of non-linear storytelling feels decidedly modern, but the brooding film noir atmosphere roots it firmly in its own era. After a roller-coaster narrative,The Killingends with a quietly powerful finale that lives long in the memory. It’s an early flash of Kubrick’s brilliance.
Steven Soderbergh influenced the heist genre in the 21st century withtheOcean’s franchise, butOut of Sightremains underappreciated. Soderbergh and George Clooney teamed up for a different kind of heist movie three years beforeOcean’s Eleven,although it’s every bit as stylish and enjoyable.
Clooney stars as a debonair thief who gets tangled up with a U.S. Marshal, as their game of cat-and-mouse takes on a romantic and erotic layer.Jennifer Lopez shines as Karen Sisco, striking up a fascinating chemistry with Clooney, in which both actors dance around the subtext expertly.
Michael Mann has since established himself as a luminary director in the crime genre, and looking back at his feature-film debut makes it clear that he’s always been able to come up with the goods.Thiefstars James Caan in fine form as a safecracker looking to retire to a pleasant and peaceful life.
WhileThief’s plot borrows from the heist genre’s history,there’s nothing conventional about Mann’s stylistic direction. He paints Chicago in shades of neon blue, with an atmospheric score by Tangerine Dream to match the aesthetic. This makes the bursts of frantic violence even more jarring, as Mann shatters the mood in an instant.
Ruben Brandt, Collectortells the story of an art therapist plagued by nightmares of famous paintings that come to life, so he decides to steal them for his personal collection as a way to quiet his dreams. It’s a fascinating exploration of the power of art and the concept of ownership.
To match its focus on art,the entire world ofRuben Brandt, Collectoris characterized by endless creativity. With a unique animation style that draws from cubism, expressionism and surrealism,Ruben Brandt, Collectorsmashes art and life together into one unholy creation. It’s utterly spellbinding, with quirky details hiding in each scene.
