A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history. Typically, there are many plot twists, and film focuses on the characters' attempts to formulate a plan, carry it out, and escape with the goods. There is often a nemesis who must be thwarted: either a figure of authority or a former partner who turned on the group or one of its members. With that being said I'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite heist films of all-time. So without further ado...
10. The Great Muppet Caper
This is the main reason why I love the muppets and this is my favorite Muppet film. Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson) and Fozzie Bear (voice by Frank Oz) are reporters who have failed to bag a story of a London jewel heist, which happened under their watch. The real criminals managed to escape and frame Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) as the thief. Kermit, Fozzie and the Great Gonzo (voiced by Dave Goelz) set out on a mission to solve the mystery and track down the criminals who stole the Baseball Diamond. The Great Muppet Caper has a rating of 79% on rottentomaotes.com.
9. The Usual Suspects
This film is absolutlely amazing and it will keep you guessing til the very end."The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," says con man Kint (played by Kevin Spacey), drawing a comparison to the most enigmatic criminal of all time, Keyser Soze. Kint attempts to convince the feds that the mythic crime lord not only exists, but is also responsible for drawing Kint and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro Harbor - leaving few survivors. The Usual Suspects was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay while winning both and it has a rating of 88% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. The Italian Job (2003)
This is probably one of the most underrated films of all-time. Charlie (played by Mark Wahlberg) , the mastermind of a daring Venice heist overseen by John (played by Donald Sutherland), a lifelong criminal who plans to retire from the fold with the earnings from his most recent take. Basking in the glow of a job well done at a secluded retreat in the Alps, the thieves -- including the aptly-named Handsome Rob (played by Jason Statham), tech-geek Lyle (played by Seth Green), and hearing-impaired quipster Left Ear (played by Mos Def) -- are ruthlessly double-crossed by one of their own, the taciturn, calculating Steve Frezelli (played by Edward Norton). Time passes and each member of the group finds himself pursuing other opportunities in the States, until Charlie rallies them together for a revenge-motivated scheme designed to bilk Steve of all his misbegotten earnings. In order to cinch the deal, he even enlists John's reluctant safecracking-prodigy daughter, Stella (played by Charlize Theron), for an elaborate, incognito Los Angeles heist. But the paranoid Steve proves himself to be one step ahead of them at just about every turn, and Charlie finds that he'll have to make some daring last-minute changes to their plan if the team is to succeed. The Italian Job has a rating of 73% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Fast Five
I'm a huge fan of the fast and the furious franchise and this is my favorite of the series. Since Brian (played by Paul Walker) and Mia Toretto (played by Jordanna Brewster) broke Dom (played by Vin Diesel) out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) never misses his target. Fast Five has a rating of 77% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Gone in 60 Seconds
While overall the film isn't that spectacular it's still a fun time. Randall "Memphis" Raines (played by Nicolas Cage) can steal practically any car that crosses his path. While he has done well in his life of crime, he knows that there's a short future in theft, and he wants to get out of the business. But his retirement plans are interrupted when his younger brother Kip (played by Giovanni Ribisi) gets in trouble with a dangerous crime boss. To get his brother out of harm's way, Randall agrees to a profitable but risky scheme to steal 50 luxury cars in one night, with the help of several other car thieves, including Sara "Sway" Wayland (played by Angelina Jolie). A rival group of thieves is trying to pull the same stunt at the same time, and detectives Castlebeck (played by Delroy Lindo) and Drycoff (played by Timothy Olyphant) are trying to shut down both operations. Gone in 60 Seconds has a rating of 24% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Point Break
I absolutely love this film and and I think it is vastly underrated. FBI agent Johnny Utah (played by Keanu Reeves) as he goes undercover to infiltrate a cache of Southern California surfers suspected of robbing banks. Utah, a former football player, is assigned to Los Angeles. There, four bank robbers, who wear rubber masks and call themselves "Ex-Presidents," have executed a series of successful robberies which embarrassingly have the FBI stumped. Utah, and his partner Pappas (played by Gary Busey) suspect that the robbers are surfers and hatch a plan for catching them. Point Break has a rating of 68% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Heat
This movie is simply awesome because of the teaming of Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. Neil McCauley (played by Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (played by Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (played by Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. Heat has a rating of 86% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Inception
This is probably one of the most mind-bending films I have ever seen. Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) doesn't steal things, he steals ideas. By projecting himself deep into the subconscious of his targets, he can glean information that even the best computer hackers can't get to. In the world of corporate espionage, Cobb is the ultimate weapon. But even weapons have their weakness, and when Cobb loses everything, he's forced to embark on one final mission in a desperate quest for redemption. This time, Cobb won't be harvesting an idea, but sowing one. Should he and his team of specialists succeed, they will have discovered a new frontier in the art of psychic espionage. They've planned everything to perfection, and they have all the tools to get the job done. Their mission is complicated, however, by the sudden appearance of a malevolent foe that seems to know exactly what they're up to, and precisely how to stop them. Inception was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects while winning 4 (Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 86% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Reservoir Dogs
As I have stated before, I am a huge Quentin Tarantino fan and this movie is the main reason why I am. A group of thieves (played by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Micheal Madsen Steve Buscemi and Chris Penn) assemble to pull of the perfect diamond heist. It turns into a bloody ambush when one of the men turns out to be a police informer. As the group begins to question each others guilt, the heightening tensions threaten to explode the situation before the police step in. Reservoir Dogs has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Town
I love this film I think Ben Affleck was robbed of an Oscar for this film. Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (played by Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (played by Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. The Town was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
10. The Great Muppet Caper
This is the main reason why I love the muppets and this is my favorite Muppet film. Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson) and Fozzie Bear (voice by Frank Oz) are reporters who have failed to bag a story of a London jewel heist, which happened under their watch. The real criminals managed to escape and frame Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) as the thief. Kermit, Fozzie and the Great Gonzo (voiced by Dave Goelz) set out on a mission to solve the mystery and track down the criminals who stole the Baseball Diamond. The Great Muppet Caper has a rating of 79% on rottentomaotes.com.
9. The Usual Suspects
This film is absolutlely amazing and it will keep you guessing til the very end."The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," says con man Kint (played by Kevin Spacey), drawing a comparison to the most enigmatic criminal of all time, Keyser Soze. Kint attempts to convince the feds that the mythic crime lord not only exists, but is also responsible for drawing Kint and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro Harbor - leaving few survivors. The Usual Suspects was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay while winning both and it has a rating of 88% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. The Italian Job (2003)
This is probably one of the most underrated films of all-time. Charlie (played by Mark Wahlberg) , the mastermind of a daring Venice heist overseen by John (played by Donald Sutherland), a lifelong criminal who plans to retire from the fold with the earnings from his most recent take. Basking in the glow of a job well done at a secluded retreat in the Alps, the thieves -- including the aptly-named Handsome Rob (played by Jason Statham), tech-geek Lyle (played by Seth Green), and hearing-impaired quipster Left Ear (played by Mos Def) -- are ruthlessly double-crossed by one of their own, the taciturn, calculating Steve Frezelli (played by Edward Norton). Time passes and each member of the group finds himself pursuing other opportunities in the States, until Charlie rallies them together for a revenge-motivated scheme designed to bilk Steve of all his misbegotten earnings. In order to cinch the deal, he even enlists John's reluctant safecracking-prodigy daughter, Stella (played by Charlize Theron), for an elaborate, incognito Los Angeles heist. But the paranoid Steve proves himself to be one step ahead of them at just about every turn, and Charlie finds that he'll have to make some daring last-minute changes to their plan if the team is to succeed. The Italian Job has a rating of 73% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Fast Five
I'm a huge fan of the fast and the furious franchise and this is my favorite of the series. Since Brian (played by Paul Walker) and Mia Toretto (played by Jordanna Brewster) broke Dom (played by Vin Diesel) out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) never misses his target. Fast Five has a rating of 77% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Gone in 60 Seconds
While overall the film isn't that spectacular it's still a fun time. Randall "Memphis" Raines (played by Nicolas Cage) can steal practically any car that crosses his path. While he has done well in his life of crime, he knows that there's a short future in theft, and he wants to get out of the business. But his retirement plans are interrupted when his younger brother Kip (played by Giovanni Ribisi) gets in trouble with a dangerous crime boss. To get his brother out of harm's way, Randall agrees to a profitable but risky scheme to steal 50 luxury cars in one night, with the help of several other car thieves, including Sara "Sway" Wayland (played by Angelina Jolie). A rival group of thieves is trying to pull the same stunt at the same time, and detectives Castlebeck (played by Delroy Lindo) and Drycoff (played by Timothy Olyphant) are trying to shut down both operations. Gone in 60 Seconds has a rating of 24% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Point Break
I absolutely love this film and and I think it is vastly underrated. FBI agent Johnny Utah (played by Keanu Reeves) as he goes undercover to infiltrate a cache of Southern California surfers suspected of robbing banks. Utah, a former football player, is assigned to Los Angeles. There, four bank robbers, who wear rubber masks and call themselves "Ex-Presidents," have executed a series of successful robberies which embarrassingly have the FBI stumped. Utah, and his partner Pappas (played by Gary Busey) suspect that the robbers are surfers and hatch a plan for catching them. Point Break has a rating of 68% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Heat
This movie is simply awesome because of the teaming of Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. Neil McCauley (played by Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (played by Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (played by Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. Heat has a rating of 86% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Inception
This is probably one of the most mind-bending films I have ever seen. Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) doesn't steal things, he steals ideas. By projecting himself deep into the subconscious of his targets, he can glean information that even the best computer hackers can't get to. In the world of corporate espionage, Cobb is the ultimate weapon. But even weapons have their weakness, and when Cobb loses everything, he's forced to embark on one final mission in a desperate quest for redemption. This time, Cobb won't be harvesting an idea, but sowing one. Should he and his team of specialists succeed, they will have discovered a new frontier in the art of psychic espionage. They've planned everything to perfection, and they have all the tools to get the job done. Their mission is complicated, however, by the sudden appearance of a malevolent foe that seems to know exactly what they're up to, and precisely how to stop them. Inception was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects while winning 4 (Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 86% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Reservoir Dogs
As I have stated before, I am a huge Quentin Tarantino fan and this movie is the main reason why I am. A group of thieves (played by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Micheal Madsen Steve Buscemi and Chris Penn) assemble to pull of the perfect diamond heist. It turns into a bloody ambush when one of the men turns out to be a police informer. As the group begins to question each others guilt, the heightening tensions threaten to explode the situation before the police step in. Reservoir Dogs has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Town
I love this film I think Ben Affleck was robbed of an Oscar for this film. Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (played by Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (played by Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. The Town was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of my list and what are some of your favorite heist films of all-time? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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