Heist backdrop

Heist movies

A robbery/heist engine: planning, timing pressure, obstacles, misdirection, and the getaway fallout.

Triple Frontier

21. Triple Frontier

Action Thriller Crime Adventure Heist
6.5

20192h 5min

United States, Colombia

Director: J.C. Chandor

Struggling to make ends meet, former special ops soldiers reunite for a high-stakes heist: stealing $75 million from a South American drug lord.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Group dynamics under stress, Greed vs loyalty, Risk management in crime, Trust across outsiders, Moral cost of robbery

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Now You See Me

22. Now You See Me

Thriller Crime Heist Investigation Suspense
7.2

20131h 56min

United States, France

Director: Louis Leterrier

An FBI agent investigates a crew of four professional illusionists who pull off brazen bank heists during their shows and hand the money out to the audience. Who are they—magicians, or just a bunch of con artists?

Themes

Deception as strategy, Spectacle versus profit, Secret circles and manipulation, Justice under elite influence, Hidden wealth transfers, Moral ambiguity of wealth

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Town

23. The Town

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Relationship Drama
7.5

20102h 5min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Ben Affleck

Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Desire to exit crime, Family influence and addiction, Surveillance and suspicion, Violence and consequences

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Going in Style

24. Going in Style

Crime Comedy Heist Parody
6.6

20171h 36min

United States

Director: Zach Braff

Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception as social strategy, Aging and financial precarity, Cross-generational bonds, Pensions and corporate betrayal, Risk and improvisation under duress

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Next Three Days

25. The Next Three Days

Romance Drama Thriller Crime Domestic Thriller
7.3

20102h 13min

United States, France

Director: Paul Haggis

A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of murdering her boss. Her husband John would spend the next few years trying to get her released, but there's no evidence that negates the evidence against her. When the strain of being separated from her husband and son gets to her, John decides to find a way to break her out.

Themes

Family separation under pressure, Passport abetted deception, Appeal pressure, Escape artist tactics, Fingerprint evidence, Innocent misperception

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Trance

26. Trance

Thriller Crime Drama Mystery Mind Game Thriller
6.9

20131h 41min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Danny Boyle

A violent gang enlists the help of a hypnotherapist in an attempt to locate a painting which somehow vanished in the middle of a heist.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Betrayal and trust, Risk and consequence, Memory manipulation, Coercive persuasion, Blurred loyalties

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Robot & Frank

27. Robot & Frank

Science Fiction Comedy Drama Crime AI Sci-Fi
7.0

20121h 29min

United States

Director: Jake Schreier

Curmudgeonly old Frank lives by himself. His routine involves daily visits to his local library, where he has a twinkle in his eye for the librarian. His grown children are concerned about their father’s well-being and buy him a caretaker robot. Initially resistant to the idea, Frank soon appreciates the benefits of robotic support – like nutritious meals and a clean house – and eventually begins to treat his robot like a true companion. With his robot’s assistance, Frank’s passion for his old, unlawful profession is reignited, for better or worse.

Themes

Family obligation vs autonomy, Trust and manipulation, Ageing and care, Crime as bonding, Technology as companion, Memory and autonomy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Inside Man

28. Inside Man

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Investigation Suspense
7.6

20062h 9min

United States

Director: Spike Lee

When an armed, masked gang enter a Manhattan bank, lock the doors and take hostages, the detective assigned to effect their release enters negotiations preoccupied with corruption charges he is facing.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Corruption and complicity, Tainted wealth origins, Hostage dynamics, Negotiation under pressure, Control of information

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Snatch

29. Snatch

Crime Comedy Heist Dark Comedy
8.2

20001h 43min

United Kingdom

Director: Guy Ritchie

A stolen 86-carat diamond traps crooked promoters, ruthless bookies, a Russian gangster and clueless thieves in the same brutal underworld maze. As a forced boxing scam spirals out of control, every double-cross tightens the walls around them, and each man scrambles for a way out before the whole city comes crashing in.

Themes

Crime networks and corruption, Loyalty vs self-interest, Deception and disguise, Trust under pressure, Violence and coercion, Risk of quick profits

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Bank Job

30. The Bank Job

Thriller Crime Drama Heist Cover-Up Thriller
7.2

20081h 52min

Australia, United Kingdom

Director: Roger Donaldson

Terry is a small-time car dealer trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Martine is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighbourhood who knows that Terry is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a bank, Terry recognises the danger but realises this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Blackmail and leverage, Police corruption networks, Crime offers opportunity, Political corruption exposure, Power and consequences

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.