Summary

• The heist genre encompasses a broad range of stories and styles, allowing for creativity and innovation.
• Heist movies can be thrilling, funny, or even blend elements of different genres to captivate audiences.
• Some standout heist films challenge traditional notions of the genre and address social issues like gender equality.

The best heist movies can fuse elements of many different genres. They encompass a broad range of stories and filmmaking styles because they are so adaptable. As long as a team of characters is all working together to steal something, then it falls under the category of a heist movie. The genre isn't restricted to any tone, time period, or particular style. Of course, the heist genre has more than its fair share of stereotypes, but the best filmmakers know how to use these to their benefit.

The heist genre has produced some of cinema's most gripping thrillers and some of its funniest comedies. Violence features frequently, like in Snatch and Point Break, but it isn't a necessity. Other movies use a heist as the perfect excuse to craft a slick mystery, with the criminals outsmarting their victims without them ever knowing they were there. Whatever approach a heist movie decides to take, some stand out above the competition.

15 American Animals (2018)

Most heists target large stacks of cash or priceless jewels. Thefts involving rare illustrations of birds, as in American Animals, are less common. The film blends fact with fiction, as actors appear alongside the real people their characters are based on. There are elements of true crime that punctuate the action, such as retrospective interviews. This results in a peculiar and engaging drama with real heft. American Animals innovates within the heist genre. The presence of hard facts within the movie relates the crime back to the victims and the morality of theft. Heist films often invite audiences to support a gang of criminals, but American Animals questions this enthusiasm.

14 Point Break (1991)

Combining crime and surfing requires a convincing cast and an airtight script. Luckily, Point Break has both in abundance. Keanu Reeves's FBI agent and Patrick Swayze's criminal surfer play off each other perfectly, and there is also a surprisingly adept turn from Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis. The heist scenes are expertly plotted, only surpassed in scale by some of the more outrageous stunts. Point Break's skydiving scene even puts Mission: Impossible to shame, which is not easy when it comes to big action. Point Break may have an offbeat premise, but its dedication to the characters gives the movie an immersive quality.

13 Logan Lucky (2017)

North Carolina provides an unorthodox setting for Steven Soderbergh's heist film Logan Lucky, but its characters grow so organically from the landscape that it seems a natural choice. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver pair seamlessly as two brothers looking for a big score, and they are helped along the way by Daniel Craig's hilarious explosives expert, Joe Bang. The movie doesn't end when the heist does, as the heat is turned up on the Logan brothers by an excruciating investigation. This third act almost feels like a different movie entirely, as if the fun and games are over and the consequences must set in.

12 Baby Driver (2017)

Edgar Wright's punchy direction and wry humor shine through in Baby Driver, the British director's first movie set on American soil. The movie's soundtrack oozes cool, as do the performances of Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx as unstable thieves. The title character is pressured into a life of crime, but he still shows a natural flair and pride in his work as a getaway driver. Baby Driver utilizes all of Wright's familiar camera tricks to portray some of the most thrilling chase scenes in recent memory. Away from the action, the movie also benefits from a genuine warmth, stemming from Baby's relationships with his new girlfriend and his foster father.

11 Widows (2018)

The heist genre is disproportionately skewed in favor of male stories. Widows expertly flips this notion on its head and marks a confident departure from the tropes of typical crime movies. Four women are brought together when they discover that their husbands are all members of a criminal gang. They decide to step out from the shadows and forge their own paths to pay off the debts they are left with. The result is a radically different heist movie fueled by righteous anger and helped by Viola Davis in electric form. Hopefully, future heist movies will follow the blueprint set by Widows, and redress the genre's gender imbalance.

10 Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Based on a true story, Dog Day Afternoon follows a simple heist that devolves into an hours-long siege, reflecting the chaos of New York City in the 1970s. Al Pacino earned an Oscar nomination for his lead performance, and the movie cemented his co-star John Cazale's indelible legacy. Pacino's Sonny is a deeply sympathetic and relatable hero. He may have chosen to rob a bank, but beyond that crime, he's just a good guy having a terrible day. His care for the hostages and his humorous communications with the police distinguish him from the typical ideas one might associate with a bank robber. He's an intensely watchable but flawed hero.

9 Rififi (1955)

The French movie Rififi essentially created the heist genre. So many of the story beats and character templates that have become traditions in heist movies can trace their roots back to Rififi. There's the recently released prisoner, the safe-cracking specialist, and the love interest who turns out to be the true object of the protagonist's desires. While a movie consisting of these elements would appear to be a tired rehash if it were produced today, the originality of Rififi lends it a captivating level of suspense. The entirely wordless heist scene remains one of the greatest ever put to film, more than half a century later.

8 Snatch (2000)

Guy Ritchie's intricately woven gangster movie introduces a dizzying assortment of unscrupulous characters all chasing after a stolen diamond. Brad Pitt steals the show, but Snatch's ensemble cast works together to create an immersive vision of a brutal London underworld. Ritchie's fingerprints are all over the movie, from white-knuckle fight scenes to the unique quips that only he can so regularly produce. Jason Statham shows off his comedy chops, bringing a jovial sharpness that elevates a movie that could otherwise drift toward overt brutality. Each character in the complex web of crime serves a carefully defined purpose, and they coalesce into a propulsive story.

7 How To Steal A Million (1966)

How to Steal a Million exemplifies the heist genre's malleability. The heist at the center of the movie, perpetrated so that the daughter of an art forger can destroy her father's work, provides the perfect backdrop for a seductive romantic comedy. Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole bounce off one another with effortless wit and grace. It's a pleasure to witness two true movie stars at the top of their game, and this film beckons the audience to root for them in earnest. Even the long sequence when the pair hide out in a closet crackles with intangible movie magic, with the gorgeous orchestral soundtrack adding to the sense of grandeur.

6 Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018)

The Hungarian animated thriller Ruben Brandt, Collector shows that there is still new ground to break in the heist genre. The movie follows a man who is tormented by figures from famous paintings, so he pulls together a skilled crew and tries to steal every artwork for himself. The eye-popping animation underlines the movie's message that art holds the key to a peaceful soul. Each frame is so lovingly drawn that they drip with hidden meaning and subtle humor that could easily go unnoticed. Heist movies run the risk of falling into the same familiar patterns, but Ruben Brandt, Collector proudly showcases something completely innovative.

5 Gambit (1966)

Nobody loves a good old-fashioned heist more than Michael Caine. He famously got behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper in The Italian Job, but he also starred in Harry and Walter Go to New York, Going in Style, and Now You See Me to name a few. However, his finest heist movie is the 1966 classic Gambit. The comedy is buoyed by the charm of Shirley MacLaine, whose unsavory character ensures that nothing goes according to plan. Gambit pioneered the now-widespread heist movie trope of concealing information from the audience, or downright lying. Yet it does so with such roguish impudence that it's hard not to fall for it.

4 Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson takes the framework of Roald Dahl's beloved children's book Fantastic Mr. Fox and liberally fills in the gaps with his own idiosyncratic flair. The gorgeous stop-motion animation adds to the movie's playful feeling, but it can't hide Mr. Fox's conflicted psyche. Fantastic Mr. Fox looks like a children's movie, but the protagonist is a career criminal with a deep-seated fear of endangering his family. Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson are a perfect match. They both combine levity and tragedy into stylized little packages, and they refuse to talk down to their audiences no matter their age.

3 A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

Monty Python legends John Cleese and Michael Palin reunite in A Fish Called Wanda for the hilarious story of a heist gone wrong, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis in unforgettable form plus Kevin Kline in an Oscar-winning supporting role. The movie's dysfunctional characters reap a lot of laughs with their idiotic attempts to double-cross one another. By throwing together British and American characters, A Fish Called Wanda also manages to lampoon both cultures simultaneously. The British characters cling too tightly to their notions of proper behavior, and the Americans are far too brash and self-interested.

2 Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Danny Ocean was originally played by Frank Sinatra in the 1960 original, but George Clooney pulls off a magic trick by somehow making the character even more suave and debonair. Ocean's Eleven has such an irresistible swagger that even its weaker points, like Don Cheadle's notoriously bad London accent, feel intentional. The movie delights in playing a game with its audience. It's a puzzle that begs to be solved, but the team is always one step ahead. The franchise has produced some fine sequels, but none that live up to the original Las Vegas heist.

1 Heat (1995)

The obsessive cat-and-mouse game between Detective Vincent Hanna and criminal Neil McCauley is so engaging thanks to the incredible chemistry between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. At its core, Heat is a wonderfully constructed contest between two men who will stop at nothing. But this heist movie has much more to count in its favor, like the eerie soundtrack, which sweeps over the nervously blinking lights of Los Angeles to heighten the tension. When this tension finally gives way, each action sequence carries the impact of a nail bomb.