There’s nothing more exciting than a great heist movie, as it’s a genre that is exclusively meant to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. While there are some dramatic stories that can be expanded outinto a prestige television showor other form of media, heist stories generally revolve around a contained period of time in which characters are forced to make an erratic series of decisions.
The best heist movies tend to be intense,as they are able to get the audience to feel the same feelings of confusion, distress, and exhilaration that the characters do. Although some heist films are more realistic than others, the best of the genre are united in the purely visceral qualities that they have. Thankfully, new classics in the genre have proven that it is still at its peak. Here are the ten most thrilling heist movies, ranked.
10‘The Killing’ (1956)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
The Killingis one of themany masterpieces directed by Stanley Kubrick,and certainly prepared him for the even more ambitious work he would do later on in his career with classics like2001: A Space OdysseyandBarry Lyndon. While the premise of a group of thieves robbing a race in an attempt to make a cheap buck is not that original,The Killinghas stood the test of time because of Kubrick’s non-linear narrative techniques, which re-tell certain events from the perspective of multiple different characters.
The Killingwas able to keep audiences on their toes because they are unsure of which character to root for, as it is not a film that goes out of its way to define just one hero. It’s certainly one of the most influential films within the genre, as it inspired great directors likeQuentin TarantinoandSteven Soderbergh.
The Killing
Crook Johnny Clay assembles a five-man team to plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.
Watch on MGM+
9‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969)
Directed by George Roy Hill
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidtook the heist genre into its western roots, and featured some of the most iconic heroes of all-time thanks to the brilliant performances byRobert RedfordandPaul Newman. While Newman and Redford would end up working together on the Best Picture winnerThe Sting, another exciting heist thriller with a lot of action,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidis the more exhilarating and intense of their two collaborations.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundnace Kidends with one of the most exciting train heists in motion picture history, asGeorge Roy Hilldelivered a set piece that wouldput most modern action moviesto shame. Ultimately, the affinity that the viewer feels for the two leading characters is what makesButch Cassidy and the Sudance Kidso compulsively watchable, and why it is just as entertaining five decades after its initial release.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
In the late 1890s, charismatic outlaw Butch Cassidy and his sharpshooting partner, the Sundance Kid, lead the Hole in the Wall Gang. As persistent lawmen close in, the duo attempts to evade capture by fleeing to South America, grappling with the challenges of a rapidly changing frontier.
Rent on Amazon
8‘The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three’ (1974)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
The Taking of Pelham One Two Threeis one of the greatest crime dramas ever made, as it took a far more realistic approach to what a train robbery and hostage situationwould look like in New York City.Rather than focusing entirely on the plight of the robbers who commit the attack,The Taking of Pelham One Two Threefocuses on a negotiator (Walter Mathau) who is desperate to prevent the situation from breaking out into violence.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Threetook bold narrative choices, as there are some surprising character deaths and plot twists. While the remake from directorTony Scottthat starredDenzel Wahsingtonis certainly worth watching as a point of comparison, viewers are best suited to seek out the original version ofThe Taking of Pelham One Two Threefor the most thrilling experience possible.
7‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Dog Day Afternoonisbased on a shocking true storyabout an incentivized bank robber (Al Pacino) who performed an elaborate heist to help his partner pay for a gender reassignment operation. The film itself made a significant impact on the development of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, as directorSidney Lumetwas unwilling to cut out any elements of the story that were deemed to be controversial, resulting in a film that felt very realistic.
Dog Day Afternoondoes a great job at escalating the stakes as more innocent lives are put in danger, and doesn’t let the viewer breathe easily until the very end. Although Pacino is an actor who has occasionally been accused of giving over-the-top performances,Dog Day Afternoonis an example in which his extreme sensibilities are well-suited for the material.
Dog Day Afternoon
Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
Watch on Paramount Plus
6‘The First Great Train Robbery’ (1978)
Directed by Michael Crichton
The First Great Train Robberyis based on a popular novel by Michael Crichton, but itdoesn’t share any of the science fiction qualitiesthatJurassic ParkandWestworlddo. Rather, Crichton’s impressive effort as a filmmaker starsSean ConneryandDonald Sutherlandas two “gentlemen thieves” that pull off an elaborate train robbery simply to amuse themselves.
“…Crichton’s masterful version ofThe First Great Train Robberyremains the most compelling adaptation of what actually happened…
The sense of comic relief does not makeThe First Great Train Robberyany less intense as a thriller, as the film shows how performing such a high stakes mission in an era where this technology was developing led to some surprising dangers. While the true story on which the film was based has inspired a few different adaptations over the course of cinematic history, Crichton’s masterful version ofThe First Great Train Robberyremains the most compelling adaptation of what actually happened.
Watch on Tubi
5‘Heat’ (1995)
Directed by Michael Mann
Heatis the masterpiece of Michael Mann’s career, which is no small statement considering that films likeThief, Manhunter, Ali, The Insider,andThe Last of the Mohicansare also remembered as classics. The reason thatHeatis as good as it is that it is one of the rare crime films in which the audience is equally invested in both the cop and criminal characters; choosing between the two becomes very challenging whenHeatcreates its elaborate bank robbery sequences.
Heatbenefits from the brilliant central performances from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, who are often cited as the two best actors of all-time. Although they had technically appeared together in different segments ofthe Best Picture winnerThe Godfather: Part II,Heatwas the first time in which they got to interact with each other in a scene.
4‘Bottle Rocket’ (1996)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Bottle Rocketwas certainly an unusual directorial debut from Wes Anderson, as the rest of his filmography largely consists ofdramedies about dysfunctional familiesand arrested development. However,Bottle Rocketwas a slyly subversive robbery movie about a morally dubious criminal (Owen Wilson) who breaks his friend (Luke Wilson) out of a mental health facility in order to rob a plant.
Bottle Rocketcreates tension because of how incompetent the characters are, as they continue to screw up the fundamentals of the heist as the stakes continue to escalate. The idiosyncratic humor that Anderson is known for isn’t an impediment to the story at all, as it actually ends up bridging a deeper connection with the characters that makes their plight feel all the more plausible than it would have been hadBottle Rockettried to take itself way too seriously as a drama.
Bottle Rocket
Watch on Amazon Prime
3‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2011)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Ocean’s Elevenis one of the rare remakes that manages to surpass the original version in every way,asSteven Soderberghwas able to add more dramatic depth to the narrative than the original version starring “The Rat Pack” ever did. It’s a film that celebrates the creativity of the heist genre by conceiving scenarios in which characters are forced to use unusual skill sets in order to pull off strange tasks.
There’s a romantic core toOcean’s Eleventhat makes it quite profound, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) goes out of his way to embarrass the casein owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to win back his ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts). While the first film is certainly an all-time classic, bothOcean’s TwelveandOcean’s Thirteendeserve another look from heist movie buffs that love the universe that Soderbergh created.
Ocean’s Eleven
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
2‘Baby Driver’ (2017)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Baby Driverwas a major step forward for Edgar Wright as an action filmmaker, as hecrashed dozens of real carson the set of this wildly entertaining heist comedy thriller.Baby Driverfound a brilliant way of syncing up a great soundtrack of classic songs, creating heist sequences that were as delicately orchestrated as a music video.
Baby Drivertells a very classical story about a hero trying to pull off “one last job,”as Baby (Ansel Elgort) attempts to get away from a life of crime to spend the rest of his years with his new lover Debra (Lily James). While the romantic dynamic between Elgort and James is just as charming as heist movies can get, the villainous performances fromJaime FoxxandJon Hammhelp ensure thatBaby Driveralways feels as intense as it could be.
Baby Driver
Baby, a talented and music-obsessed getaway driver, works for a ruthless crime boss, using his incredible driving skills to execute flawless heists. Dreaming of a normal life, he falls for a charming waitress and decides to escape his criminal past. But his plans are jeopardized when a heist goes wrong, forcing him to fight for his freedom and the future he desires.
Watch on Netflix
1‘Good Time’ (2017)
Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie
Good Timeis one of themost anxiety-inducing crime movies ever made, asJoshandBenny Safdiecreated a film that explores the logical consequences of a heist that goes wrong. The greatest irony ofGood Timeis that Connie (Robert Pattinson) isn’t a particularly likable character; the viewers are simply swept up in his journey to free his brother from prison becauseGood Timenever gives its audience a moment in which they can catch their breath and calm down.
Good Timeis one of the few films that can be described as being completely unpredictable,as trying to perceive how the film will end based on its opening moments would be an impossibility. Although the film gets very brutal and upsetting to watch at times, there’s also a very dark sense of humor that the Safdies insert that somehow makes the entire experience even more intense.
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City’s underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
