5 best heist movies
Who doesn't love a good heist flick? Here are five of the best heist moves out there.
‘Tis the season of heists, owing to the recent release of Battlefield Hardline, and if our recent article about the best heist-based games put you in the mood to check out some great heists, here are some of the best heist movies ever made.
The Italian Job (2003)
The American remake of the British film, The Italian Job leaves a lot of the source material out, including the iconic climax in a van. However, the film does keep the essentials and update them smartly for the 21st Century. The classic plot regarding honour among thieves is kept alive and well with a series of betrayals and back stabbings, along with nice stunts and half bearable acting and dialogue. The Italian Job is a fast-paced heist flick that's not to be missed.
Inception (2010)
It's not a typical heist film, but what film of Christopher Nolan is "typical"? Stealing ideas, or more to the point, installing them is much harder than stealing gold, and requires a team to match. Taking place in multiple levels or dreams, Inception plays around with genre conventions of heist films and mild sci-fantasy, raising questions regarding the nature of memories and dreams.
Ocean's 11 (2001)
The remake of the classic heist film involves the same plot, as Danny Ocean hires a colourful cast of talented thieves, each a specialist in their own field, in order to conduct the biggest heist of his career. The remake was so successful that it spawned a trilogy of its own, and while the follow-ups aren't as strong as the original, or the original remake, they’re still worth watching.
Heat (1995)
Based on the life of an actual "master criminal" and the audacious heists he pulled off while on the run from the law, Heat is meant to be a stylised take on the story. Starting with the heist of an armoured car, the film only ramps things up from there, but continues to have the occasional laugh or soft moment to change the pace. Starring Al Pacino, Val Kilmer and Robert De Niro close to their prime, it's a must-watch for fans of 90s heart-throbs.
Now You See Me (2013)
Based on the audacious but scarily plausible concept of a set of stage magicians performing large scale bank heists while making a mockery of the police force, Now You See Me is a fairly recent take on the genre. The film was praised for its strong acting, but the plot was a minor misstep, given the concept. A sequel is scheduled for sometime next year, so now is the perfect time to be dazzled by the bank-robbing magicians.