The Best Heist Movies Ever
There’s nothing quite like a great heist movie, with all the scheming, the suspense, the “one last job,” and the inevitable double-cross. From suave criminals to misfit crews, these films keep us on the edge of our seats. Buckle up—here are the greatest heist movies of all time.
Heat
Michael Mann's Heat is a genre definer, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in a game of cat-and-mouse. That downtown LA shootout is the stuff of urban myth, but it's the battle of wills between criminal and cop that gives the film its weight. The execution of the heist, carried out with clinical efficiency, is one of the most realistic on film ever.
HEAT (1995) | Bank Robbery shootout | Downtown LA. shootout, Cinematico
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Glamorous, intelligent, and infuriatingly trendy, Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven recruited an fantasy team led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt for a slick Las Vegas casino heist that never gets old. Stealing three casinos at once is a big concept, but the film makes it look like a Sunday stroll and leaves viewers grinning at the punch line.
Ocean's Eleven (4/5) Movie CLIP - Benedict Gets Duped (2001) HD, Movieclips
The Italian Job (1969)
This one of the greatest heist films ever, with Michael Caine directing, features perhaps the greatest ever getaway sequence in cinema history—Mini Coopers racing through the streets of Turin. The Italian Job combines British wit and hard-driving action, a flawless mixture of humor and suspense. The conclusion, literally on the scales of justice, is indelible.
The Italian Job (1969) OFFICIAL TRAILER [HD 1080p], HD Retro Trailers
The Usual Suspects
With its twisty storyline and the now-famous Keyser Söze reveal, The Usual Suspects is more interested in the deception than it is in the heist—though it's the better film for it. The movie is told in flashbacks, with the audience kept in the dark until the final shot. Every watch gives different clues and new respect for the plot.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995) | Ending Scene | Keyser Soze revealed, Cinematico
Inside Man
Spike Lee's entry into the genre is cleverly cerebral. Inside Man isn’t just about robbing a bank—it’s about how to rob a bank and still walk away clean. Denzel Washington plays the detective matching wits with Clive Owen’s enigmatic mastermind. Jodie Foster adds another layer as a mysterious fixer, and the non-linear storytelling keeps the tension high. The real mastermind behind the heist is only apparent in the last act, and it is one of the greatest payoffs to a crime film in recent memory.
Inside Man (11/11) Movie CLIP - Who, When, Why, and How (2006) HD, Movieclips
Rififi
This 1955 French crime thriller is commonly regarded as the godfather of modern heist films. Its near-30-minute wordless heist is a lesson in tension and technique. Rififi has influenced generations of directors, from Tarantino to Nolan, and the heist itself is executed with such realism and accuracy that it's said to have inspired real thieves.
RIFIFI - Trailer, Rialto Pictures
Logan Lucky
Picture redneck Ocean's Eleven, but instead of heists, stock car racing. Steven Soderbergh returned to heist movies with Logan Lucky, a hilarious, quirky caper with Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, and Daniel Craig. The appeal of the movie lies in its outsider setting and cast—working-stiff guys planning a heist during a major race. With clever, sardonic scriptwriting, it subverts genre expectations.
LOGAN LUCKY | Official HD Trailer, Bleecker Street
Inception
Christopher Nolan's science-fiction epic reimagines the heist as a journey of the subconscious. With mind-bending visuals and nested dreams, Inception is a high-brow take on the genre. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of dream-thieves who plant an idea rather than steal one. It's a bold concept executed with precision, and Hans Zimmer's thumping score and the iconic spinning top make it unforgettable.
Inception (2010) Official Trailer #1 - Christopher Nolan Movie HD, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
The Town
The Town is directed by and starred Ben Affleck in a gritty, emotionally charged tale about Boston's Charlestown, a city notorious for producing bank robbers. Affleck played Doug, the getaway driver looking for a way out, as his crew, which included Jeremy Renner's hot-headed Jem, moved deeper into danger. The Fenway Park armored car robbery is a set piece, but the true emotional core of the film is Doug's tortured relationships with his crew and with a hostage who he develops feelings for.
The Town - Official Trailer [HD], Legendary
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs is a dark exploration of what happens when a diamond heist goes wrong. Rather than show the heist itself, the movie looks at the dynamics between the criminals and how paranoia, suspicion, and betrayal tear their trust to pieces. With its non-linear structure and Tarantino's signature mix of hard-boiled wit and graphic violence, it's a film that changed independent filmmaking in the 90s.
Reservoir Dogs official trailer HD, Park Circus
Sexy Beast
Jonathan Glazer's Sexy Beast has a mesmerizing clash of peace and disorder. Ray Winstone plays a retired gangster in the peaceful existence in Spain—until Ben Kingsley's Don Logan shows up. Logan is a human storm who demands Winstone's involvement in one final robbery. Sexy Beast is a masterpiece due to its balance of characters and psychological suspense. The robbery itself is clean and dreamlike, but it's the explosive story leading up to it that characterizes the ride. Kingsley's out-of-control performance hijacks every frame.
Sexy Beast [2000] Official Trailer, HanWay Films
Out Of Sight
Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight pairs George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez in a suave, sexy crime romance. Clooney is Jack Foley, a charming bank thief who escapes from prison and encounters Lopez's no-nonsense US Marshal. Nonlinear storytelling, stylish editing, and snappy Elmore Leonard dialogue make it a heist movie with heart, wit, and style.
Out of Sight (1998) -What If? Scene (7/10) | Movieclips, Movieclips
Point Break (1991)
Point Break rides into surf culture and spiritual adrenaline with a touch of armed robbery. FBI agent Johnny Utah, played by Keanu Reeves, infiltrates a bank-robbing gang of surfers ruled by philosophizing Bodhi, played by Patrick Swayze. There is part bromance, part existential action film on offer. With iconic skydiving stunts and high-speed car chases, the movie became an instant cult classic.
Point Break (1991), Twentieth Century Fox
Thief
Michael Mann's Thief features James Caan as a professional safecracker who hopes to go legit. With the cityscape awash in neon and the Litanies of Tangerine Dream pounding in the background, the film is brooding and introspective. Mann's directorial debut is devoted to verisimilitude, even using real-life thieves as consultants.
Thief | Original Trailer | Michael Mann, 1981, Arrow Video
Widows
Steve McQueen's Widows turns the genre on its head by putting women in charge. When their husbands are murdered while trying to rob a bank, a group of widows steps up to take over the dangerous job themselves. It's a more complex heist film, delving into grief, power, and political corruption.
Watch Viola Davis Lead a Heist in Widows | Anatomy of a Scene, The New York Times
Ronin
John Frankenheimer's Ronin boasts global espionage and high-speed automobile chases. Robert De Niro and Jean Reno lead a crack group of thieves who are paid to pilfer an enigmatic briefcase. Gritty realism and a minimalist approach to exposition keep you guessing along the way.
Dog Day Afternoon
Loosely founded on fact, Dog Day Afternoon stars Al Pacino as Sonny, a desperate man who tries to rob a bank to pay for his partner's gender confirmation surgery. The robbery rapidly develops into a gripping hostage drama. Realism is sustained by the work of Sidney Lumet, and Al Pacino delivers one of his finest performances.
Dog Day Afternoon | Modern Trailer | HBO Max, HBO Max
A Fish Called Wanda
This American-British farce combines hijinks and heist with precision timing. John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin get caught up in a bungled diamond heist of rather disastrous consequences. Kline took home an Oscar for his unhinged performance, and the witty script to this movie blends slapstick and razor-sharp wit.
A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) | Best of Kevin Kline as Otto | MGM, Amazon MGM Studios
Bottle Rocket
Wes Anderson's debut, Bottle Rocket, is a low-key gem concerning three friends scheming a series of petty robberies. Whimsical turns by Luke and Owen Wilson set the tone for Anderson's offbeat style. It's as much about friendship as it is thievery.
Wes Anderson's Forgotten Debut | Bottle Rocket, derossi
The Asphalt Jungle
John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle is one of the earliest heist films and still one of the greatest. A gang of thieves conspire to steal jewelry that always dissolves. Gritty realism and noir atmosphere provide the background for countless genre fare.
The Asphalt Jungle (3/10) Movie CLIP - Coppers (1950) HD, Movieclips
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation unleashes espionage-meets-heist in full gear. The action set pieces are spectacular—especially the underwater vault sequence. With last-minute escapes, gadgets, and disguises, it's a slick combination of spy thriller and old-fashioned heist conventions.
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) | Official Trailer - Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible
Baby Driver
Edgar Wright's Baby Driver weaves heist action together to a lethal soundtrack. Ansel Elgort is Baby, a getaway driver afflicted with tinnitus, who choreographs his life to a beat. Sleek and kinetic, the film blends adrenaline with a touch of heart.
BABY DRIVER - Official Trailer (HD), Sony Pictures Entertainment
Fast Five
Fast Five is when Fast & Furious went all-in heist spectacular. Vin Diesel and his team pull off a vault heist in Rio and haul it through the streets in a physics-defying sequence. It's outlandish, thrilling, and shamelessly silly.
Drive
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is a neo-noir take on the getaway driver genre. Ryan Gosling plays a stoic loner of killer ability and neighborly weakness. Stylish and atmospheric, with synth-infused score and outbursts of brutal violence, the film is not forgettable.
Drive - Movie Trailer (2011) HD, Rotten Tomatoes Trailers
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
In this high-style remake, Pierce Brosnan plays a billionaire art thief who steals for the thrill of it. Rene Russo plays the insurance agent who is bound and determined to apprehend him. With hot games, styled visuals, and a killer tango, The Thomas Crown Affair oozes charisma.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) - Chasing Thomas Scene (8/9) | Movieclips, Movieclips
Army Of The Dead
Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead is zombie apocalypse meets Vegas heist. Dave Bautista leads an ill-matched team into a quarantined zone to rob millions. It's bloody, absurd, and unaccountably sentimental—with zombie tigers added in.
Army of the Dead | Official Trailer | Netflix, Netflix
The Score
Frank Oz's The Score reunites acting legends Marlon Brando, Edward Norton, and Robert De Niro. A classy, old-school heist film with a twist, it's a terrific film. The repartee between Norton's cocky upstart and De Niro's grizzled pro drives the tension.
The Score (2001) Official Trailer #1 - Robert De Niro Movie HD, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown is a more laid-back, character-driven caper. Pam Grier plays a flight attendant who gets caught smuggling money and turns the tables on them all. With witty dialogue and a soulful score, it's one of Quentin Tarantino's most mature attempts.
Catch Me If You Can
Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can isn't so much a heist film, but sophisticated cons by Frank Abagnale Jr are beautifully in place here. Leonardo DiCaprio is charming as young con man and Tom Hanks plays the straight-laced FBI agent hot on his heels.
Now You See Me
Now You See Me is inspired by an ensemble of illusionists who stage Robin Hood-style heists under the guise of magic tricks. It's gleaming, twisty, and unashamedly fun. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher stay light-handed as the stunts grow progressively outlandish.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) Official Trailer, Lionsgate Movies
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