There’s a certain thrill and adrenaline rush in the Heist movies, where we become almost one team with the crew of robbers planning to execute the biggest crime of all time. No matter what, this is one genre of movies that never gets boring, thus we bring you some of the best crime thrillers based on real-life to some creatively written fictional stories.
10 Best Heist Movies to Watch
Ocean’s Eleven
Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Don Cheadle, the crew tries to pull off the cleanest and most daring Las Vegas casino heist ever. Less than 24 hours after being paroled, charismatic Danny Ocean handpicks a top-notch team of smooth operators to pocket $150 million in one night!
Their target is Terry Benedict who controls three of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. Ocean and his crew stick to the rules – Don’t hurt anybody and don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it, while playing the game like you’ve got nothing to lose.
Watch it on Netflix.
Rififi
Rififi (Du rififi chez les hommes) is based on a crime novel by Auguste Le Breton that was adapted in 1955 by filmmaker Jules Dassin. It also earned him the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival and is celebrated as one of the best French noir films. It stars Jean Servais, Robert Hossein, Magali Noël, Janine Darcey, Pierre Grasset, Marcel Lupovici, Robert Manuel, Carl Möhner, Marie Sabouret and Claude Sylvain.
In the film, Tony Le Stéphanois (Jean Servais) is back from prison after five years of taking a rap for Jo le Suédois and is ready to settle a few scores and mastermind a brilliant jewel heist. Even his old girlfriend Mado has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter during Tony’s absence. It motivates him to plan and get away with the jewel heist until the consequences afterwards threaten the lives of everyone involved.
Watch it on Internet Archive.
Inside Man
The film stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen as Dalton Russell and Jodie Foster in the lead role, where a perfect bank heist spirals into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. Detective Keith Frazier gets involved in a heist and hostage situation with the mastermind Dalton Russell and a power broker, leading to a high octane crime thriller.
Watch it on Netflix.
Trance
This psychological film is directed by Danny Boyle and stars James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, and Rosario Dawson. It tells the story of Simon, a fine art auctioneer, who teams up with a criminal gang to steal a Goya painting worth millions of dollars, but after suffering a blow to the head during the heist he awakens to discover he has no memory of where he hid the painting.
When physical threats and torture fail to produce answers, the gang’s leader Frank hires hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb to delve into the darkest recesses of Simon’s psyche. As Elizabeth begins to unravel Simon’s broken subconscious, the lines between truth, suggestion, and deceit begin to blur.
Rent it on Amazon Prime Video.
The Italian Job
This is one of those films that everyone knows about when talking of Heist films. Although a remake of 1969 British film, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. The story follows a group of thieves who pulled off some great heists but what they didn’t expect is to get double crossed by one of the members.
Therefore, the betrayed members join forces together to get their payback and even more while they are at it.
Watch it on Netflix.
Special 26
This Hindi film is based on a true story from 1987 where an unknown man posing as CBI officer recruited 26 men and executed a daylight raid on the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri in Mumbai, and disappeared with jewellery worth lakhs. Directed by Neeraj Pandey, it stars Akshay Kumar and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead roles with Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpai and Anupam Kher are in supporting roles.
Watch it on Apple TV+.
Baby Driver
Mixing music and speed together, Baby Driver is written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal appear in supporting roles. It follows the story of Baby, who survived a car crash but suffers from tinnitus and thus relies on music to live by peacefully.
But while working for a crime boss, a heist gone wrong threatens his life, love and freedom. Thus he hatches a plan to getaway from the life of crime and to get his freedom.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
The Old Man and The Gun
If you have never come across a gentleman robber then this film will show you just that. Starring Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter, Tom Waits and Sissy Spacek, it is a biographical crime film written and directed by David Lowery. It is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, a robber who escaped San Quentin Prison at the age of 70. His string of heists not only confounded authorities but also enchanted the public, strangely rooting for him.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Dhoom
If there’s one Indian action crime thriller that entralled everyone in the country, then it’s Dhoom. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Uday Chopra, Esha Deol and Rimi Sen and it’s the first instalment in the series. It follows Police inspector Jai Dixit and a group of bike clad robbers, who escape unscathed everytime. It’s a game of chase filled with some music and romance.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Plastic
Based on a true story of con-artist Saq Mumtaz, the film is directed by Julian Gilbey and co-written by Will Gilbey and Chris Howard. Starring Ed Speleers, Will Poulter, Alfie Allen, Sebastian de Souza and Emma Rigby.
It all starts with a credit card fraud scheme which makes Sam and Fordy think they are invincible, but when they steal from the wrong man – they find themselves threatened by a brutal gangster. They need to raise 2 million pounds and pull off a daring diamond heist to clear their debt.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Which of the above-mentioned films have you watched and might be adding to your watch list? Let us know in the comments below.
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