From robbing banks for cash to stealing gold out of vaults, these are some of the greatest heist movies ever made. It’s definitely not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good taste of the thievery movies that are out there. Just don’t use them to map out your own heist, or you’ll probably end up in prison.
The Italian Job
In 2003 The Italian Job brought the world a great movie about a heist done using a bunch of Mini Coopers, to steal 35 million in gold bullion. Now that’s a lot of money. The movie starred, among others, Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg. The smaller cars were needed for all of the tight spaces they found themselves in.
Reservoir Dogs
In Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 film, the heist isn’t gold, it’s diamonds, and it’s a group of thieves going by assumed names, like Mr. Pink and Mr. Orange, that attempt to pull off the robbery. A group of thieves assemble to pull of the perfect diamond heist.
Unfortunately, one of the thieves is actually an informer for the police, and the group begins to doubt one another.
The Bank Job
The 2008 robbery film The Bank Job, starring action movie superstar Jason Statham, is actually based on a true crime that happened in 1971. Again, no gold here, but the plan is to steal some bank vaults stuffed with cash and jewelry.
The Lookout
It’s not the bank heist itself that makes this 2007 robbery film a gem, it’s the portrayal of a bank janitor that inadvertently becomes part of a heist by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It’s a buyable performance and the movie will have you at the edge of your seat.
Heat
This 1995 film starred Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, among others, and was a great film about a group of professional thieves that not so professionally leave a clue at their latest heist, which puts the police on their tails.
Snatch
If you’d rather see the underdog, the amateur’s work to do the thievery, Snatch, from 2000, is a great film. It’s not the first time you’ll see Brad Pitt or Jason Statham in a film about heists. This film has a somewhat, dark, comedic edge to it that makes it worth a watch, as numerous groups, including the thieves, try to find a stolen diamond.
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Eleven, 2001, was a remake of a Rat Pack film from 1960, packed with A-list stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. It ends up being a trilogy, when it comes to the remake.
The premise of the movie is that a group of thieves plans to rob three casinos, all at the same time. It’s a very interesting movie, and casinos definitely seem like a good place for thieves to make some bank, in a quick fashion.