Now You See Me: Now You Don’t hit cinemas on November 14, the third part of a trilogy that started in 2013 with Now You See Me, via the less-imaginatively titled Now You See Me 2.
While Ruben Fleischer’s entertaining film series might ostensibly be about magic – or rather, a group of modern-day illusionists called The Four Horsemen – they actually firmly belong in the tradition of the good old-fashioned heist movie.
This offshoot of the crime film genre concerns itself with the planning and execution of a significant robbery or operation, typically delighting in the operational minutiae.
Often, the audience is encouraged to identify with or at least sympathise with the perpetrators.
A good heist film can combine elements of action, suspense, drama, social commentary, and even comedy. It’s never a bad time to watch one, in our experience – at least not when they’re as good as these ten examples.
10. Ocean’s Eleven
You can’t really talk about the modern-day heist movie without at least referencing Ocean’s Eleven. If Stephen Soderbergh hadn’t made his starry 2001 hit, there’s a very good chance there wouldn’t even be a Now You See Me trilogy. It’s a remake of a 1960 Rat Pack classic, with George Clooney’s Danny Ocean assembling a crew of crack criminals to rob three casinos.
The way Soderbergh assembles the planning and execution of the heist is an audacious high-wire act in itself, fully earning a climactic shot of the group revelling in the magnitude of their achievement.
9. Thomas Crown Affair
The 1999 Pierce Brosnan remake is entertaining in its own right, but we have to favour the impossible, stylish original. Steve McQueen plays Thomas Crown, a dapper millionaire who continues to execute high-end heists for the thrill of it.
The $2.66 million operation that kicks off the movie is a multi-stage work of genius that would echo through prestigious thrillers such as The Usual Suspects and The Dark Knight. Our handsome criminal expertly covers his tracks, albeit in a decidedly non-violent fashion – all the better to root for him, as well as Faye Dunaway’s sharp investigator.
8. The Italian Job
The difference between a heist movie and a caper is humour, and there’s no greater example of this than The Italian Job. This 1969 movie sees Michael Caine’s master thief, Charlie Croker, convinced to attempt the grand theft of $4 million worth of gold from a convoy in Turin.
Everything, including the scenery, the music, the shooting of the planning stages, the automotive action scenes, and the literal cliffhanger of an ending, has earned the label ‘iconic’. The Italian Job pretty much wrote the book on a certain kind of light-hearted crime escapade.
7. Dog Day Afternoon
Most heist movies deal with hyper-competent criminals and the clinical execution of their clockwork plans. Sidney Lumet’s 1975 crime drama deals with the messy business of the real thing, showing them to be chaotic, ill-conceived enterprises attempted by often desperate people.
In this case, it’s based on the true-life actions of Sonny Wortzik, an inexperienced criminal who held up his first bank in a bid to pay for his girlfriend’s gender-affirming surgery in the early ‘70s.
6. Sexy Beast
Jonathan Glazer’s brilliant debut starts out as a gently amusing tale of a middle-aged British gangster, played by Ray Winstone, on the lam in the Costa del Sol. When Ben Kingsley’s violent associate rocks up with the ‘offer’ of a final job, however, the tension soon ratchets up.
Before long, our anti-hero is forced to plan a major London bank robbery whilst simultaneously trying to figure out a way to extricate himself from the clutches of his psychopathic tormentor.
5. Jackie Brown
Much of Quentin Tarantino’s work has at least flirted with the heist movie genre (Reservoir Dogs was close to being included, but is more of a post-heist movie), yet Jackie Brown is his purest adherent to said formula.
It also might just be his best film. Pam Grier plays the titular flight attendant smuggling money across the Mexican border for Samuel L. Jackson’s ruthless gun runner. What ensues is a slow-burning plot to extricate herself from trouble with both sides of the law, all whilst relieving her boss of $500,000.
4. Inception
As you’d expect, Christopher Nolan’s take on the heist movie genre doesn’t follow standard operating procedure. Much of the central operation occurs within the topsy-turvy world of dreams. Meanwhile, rather than any valuable loot being extracted, our crew of brain-raiding operatives is seeking to implant the seed of an idea.
It’s heady, mind-expanding stuff that will leave you reeling, even if you do manage to follow along closely. Stand back, however, and it reveals itself to be a surprisingly cogent heist movie.
3. Die Hard
So you thought that Die Hard was a straight-up action movie, did you? That sounds like the naive view of someone who’s seen John McTiernan’s 1988 masterpiece fewer than 20 times. Watch it again. Note how you start warming to Alan Rickman’s dastardly Hans Gruber and his team of well-drilled Eurotrash psychos.
Observe how your heart, almost despite itself, starts leaping as they crack the uncrackable safe to the triumphant notes of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Admit that, just this once, you’d like to see the slick bastard get away with it.
2. The Usual Suspects
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist”, said Kevin Spacey’s slippery con man – a quote pinched from Baudelaire. It’s a film that’s full to the brim with thievery and dastardly deception, as a crew of hardened criminals reluctantly choose to work together (or do they?) on a deadly heist (or is it?).
The movie seems to have lost a little of its cultural currency in recent years, thanks to the ill behaviour of some of its leading figures, but don’t let that fool you. The Usual Suspects is a killer of a heist movie.
1. Heat
Heat is the shady kingpin of heist movies, ruling over this wanton criminality with an unflinching eye. It features titanic performances from two of Hollywood’s greats, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, starring together in a feature film for the first time.
It also boasts one of the greatest running gun battles in cinematic history, as the usual ‘one more heist’ goes up in smoke. And bullets - lots of bullets. It doesn’t matter how many times you watch this film, or even how many of its story beats you predicted, the ending will leave you shattered every time.
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