Heist backdrop

Heist movies

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

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

31. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Family Drama
7.3

20071h 57min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Sidney Lumet

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.

Themes

Trust vs deception, Greed and risk, Sibling rivalry dynamics, Family betrayal under pressure, Financial desperation motive, Loyalty and consequences

Available on

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

Man on a Ledge

32. Man on a Ledge

Action Thriller Crime Cover-Up Thriller Heist
6.6

20121h 42min

United States

Director: Asger Leth

An ex-cop turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The NYPD dispatch a female police psychologist to talk him down. However, unbeknownst to the police on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover for the biggest diamond heist ever pulled.

Themes

Deception as tactic, Framing and false accusations, Corruption within law enforcement, Pressure in negotiation, Reclaiming innocence, Improvised heist teamwork

Available on

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

JCVD

33. JCVD

Drama Action Comedy Crime Entertainment Industry Drama
7.0

20081h 36min

Belgium, France

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! This fictionalized version of Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States, but inadvertently gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Family conflict, Career vulnerability, Performative fame, Custody pressures, Media circus

Available on

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

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

34. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Comedy Crime Heist Dark Comedy
8.1

19981h 45min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Guy Ritchie

Four mates stake everything on a card shark’s big poker night, but a rigged game leaves them owing a brutal debt collector half a million in a week, forcing them to rob the gang next door and setting off a chain of double-crosses that spins their small-time hustle into all-out criminal chaos.

Themes

Loyalty under strain, High stakes deception, Debt pressure in crime, Escalation of violence, Value of weaponry, Rival gang pressure

Available on

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

Ocean's Eleven

35. Ocean's Eleven

Thriller Crime Heist
7.7

20011h 56min

United States

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Less than 24 hours into his parole, charismatic thief Danny Ocean is already rolling out his next plan: In one night, Danny's hand-picked crew of specialists will attempt to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos. But to score the cash, Danny risks his chances of reconciling with ex-wife, Tess.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Loyalty versus profit, Manipulation of security systems, Romantic entanglements under pressure, High-stakes risk and reward, Expertise through collaboration

Available on

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

Ocean's Thirteen

36. Ocean's Thirteen

Crime Thriller Heist
6.9

20072h 2min

United States

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Danny Ocean's team of criminals are back and composing a plan more personal than ever. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank doublecrosses Reuben Tishkoff, causing a heart attack, Danny Ocean vows that he and his team will do anything to bring down Willy Bank along with everything he's got. Even if it means asking for help from an enemy.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Prestige versus profit, Risk under pressure, Surveillance and control, Revenge and grievance, Trust under strain

Available on

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

The Lookout

37. The Lookout

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Tragic Drama
6.9

20071h 39min

United States

Director: Scott Frank

Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Disability shapes autonomy, Rehabilitation through routine, Crime and coercion, Economic security vs vulnerability, Loyalty tested under danger

Available on

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

Fargo

38. Fargo

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
8.1

19961h 38min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Joel Coen

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Criminal escalation, Financial desperation, False promises, Investigative persistence, Moral ambiguity

Available on

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

Flawless

39. Flawless

Crime Drama Thriller Heist Psychological Drama
6.7

20071h 48min

United Kingdom, Luxembourg

Director: Michael Radford

A female executive and a night janitor conspire to commit a daring diamond heist from their mutual employer, The London Diamond Corporation.

Themes

Social mobility, Glass ceiling, Gender inequality, Corporate power, Ambition and risk, Deception dynamics

Available on

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

Flickering Lights

40. Flickering Lights

Action Comedy Crime Dark Comedy Heist
7.5

20001h 49min

Denmark, Sweden

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen

Four small gangsters from Copenhagen trick a gangster boss: they take over 4,000,000 kroner which they were supposed to bring him. Trying to escape to Barcelona they are forced to stop in the countryside, in an old, wrecked house, hiding there for several weeks. Slowly, one after another, they realize, that they would like to stay there, start a new life.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Trust under strain, Deception as survival, New life vs past, Isolation as catalyst, Collective ambition under restraint, Risk of discovery

Available on

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