Best Heist Movies (Top Picks At A Glance)
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One of the most thrilling movie genres around is the heist film genre. These movies follow a team of criminals as they attempt to pull off a robbery or theft, often against impossible odds. Heist films usually involve a lot of planning and strategy, as well as plenty of suspense. They can be extremely exciting to watch, with characters often outsmarting the authorities to get away with their crimes.
All these things combined make this genre a perfect choice for movie night! Which is where we come in. We have gone and found the best of the best heist movies and listed them here for your viewing pleasure. So get ready, grab some popcorn, and let’s figure out which heist movie you’ll be watching tonight!
1. Heist
Heist Movie Description
Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) and his team of professional thieves find themselves in a difficult situation. They have been caught on camera and their fence has reneged on the money they’re owed.
In addition, Moore’s wife may be having an affair with the fence’s lieutenant. Desperate and broke, Moore is forced to commit his team to one last big job.
2. Inside Man
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Inside Man Movie Description
A detective and a bank robber engage in a tense standoff, while a hostage situation unfolds.
In Madaline’s (Jodie Foster) presence, the already unstable situation quickly deteriorates. With a hidden agenda of her own, Madaline flirts with pushing things too far.
3. The Score
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The Score Movie Description
Nick Wells (Robert De Niro), a professional thief, is in the process of planning a nearly impossible theft that will force him to join forces with a young accomplice (Edward Norton).
Nick’s plan to retire from crime and settle down with his fiancée Diane (Angela Bassett) is interrupted by an unlikely alliance, which was arranged by Nick’s longtime friend and fence Max (Marlon Brando). Even worse, the alliance requires that Nick violate his most important rule: Always work alone.
4. Ocean's Eleven
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Ocean’s Eleven Movie Description
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is an ingenious thief. On the day of his parole, he already has his next plan in action, a sophisticated casino heist.
He follows three rules: don’t hurt anyone, don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it, and play the game like you’ve got nothing to lose. With this in mind, Danny orchestrates the heist with precision and care, pulling off one of the most intricate casino robberies in history.
5. The Italian Job
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The Italian Job Movie Description
After betrayal and a failed heist in Venice, the team seeks revenge on their former partner Steve. Leader Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), driver Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), explosive expert Left Ear (Mos Def), and tech guru Lyle enlist Bridger’s daughter Stella (Charlize Theron) to help them break into Steve’s LA mansion and steal back what is rightfully theirs.
6. Hell or High Water
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Hell Or High Water Movie Description
Toby, a divorced father, is trying to improve his son’s life. Meanwhile, Toby’s brother Tanner-an ex-convict with anger issues-is helping him plan a series of heists against the bank that foreclosed on their family ranch.
However, standing in their way is Marcus: a Texas Ranger who’s almost done with his career. As the siblings plot out their last robbery; they must also get ready for a showdown with Marcus.
7. Wrath of Man
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Wrath of Man Movie Description
A skilled security guard for a cash truck surprises his co-workers when he takes down a group of thieves during a heist.
His mysterious and wild-eyed persona leaves the crew wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s true motive becomes clear as he sets in motion a plan to settle a score.
8. Logan Lucky
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Logan Lucky Movie Description
After being laid off from his construction job, Jimmy Logan enlists the help of his one-armed brother Clyde and sister Mellie to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
They recruit demolition expert Joe Bang to help them break into the track’s underground system. But their plans go awry when a mistake forces them to commit the robbery during a NASCAR race while also trying to escape an FBI agent.
9. Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs Movie Description
Six criminals, all strangers to one another, are hired to carry out a robbery. However, the heist is ambushed by police and the gang has to shoot their way out.
When they meet up at the warehouse afterward, survivors realize that someone betrayed them and try to figure out who it was.
10. Takers
Takers Movie Description
As they celebrate the latest job, a former associate arrives with a daring plan to rob an armored car.
With a lot of money at stake, it’s tough to say no, but Gordon’s (Idris Elba) men aren’t aware that this robbery puts them on a path to meet Russian mobsters and a policeman who will stop at nothing to apprehend them.
11. Baby Driver
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Baby Driver Movie Description
Baby, an orphan with a love for music, is the go-to getaway driver for heist mastermind Doc. Baby plans to leave his life of crime behind by pulling off one last job with the perfect soundtrack and then riding off into the sunset with beautiful diner waitress Debora. But things are never as easy as they seem, especially when Doc’s violent cronies, including Buddy, Bats, and Darling are involved.
12. Den of Thieves
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Den Of Thieves Movie Description
The Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department led by hard-drinking Nick O’Brien, find themselves on a collision course with the Outlaws – a gang of ex-military men lead by recently paroled Ray Merrimen.
The Outlaws use their expertise and tactical skills to evade the law and are planning an elaborate heist on the city’s Federal Reserve Bank.
13. The Town
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The Town Movie Description
Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls for Claire Keesey, a hostage from his latest robbery. Doug wants out of his criminal life, but that could threaten Claire.
As their relationship deepens, he realizes that he wants to leave the criminal world behind for her sake.
14. Triple Frontier
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Triple Frontier Movie Description
A group of ex-Special Forces soldiers gets back together to plan a heist in a remote area of South America. They’re undertaking a perilous mission for personal reasons instead of patriotic ones, but when the situation spirals out of their control, they’ll have to rely on their skills, strengths, and values to make it out alive.
15. Army of Thieves
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Army Of Thieves Movie Description
Dieter is approached by a woman who asks him to help her in a series of bank robberies.
Though the safes appear impenetrable, the woman is confident that Dieter can help her get what she wants.
16. Now You See Me
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Now You See Me Movie Description
The Four Horsemen are a team of magicians led by the charismatic Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg). They dazzle audiences with two amazing magic shows that leave them with full bank accounts.
However, they are soon pursued by a federal agent and an Interpol detective who want to stop their next heist. They turn to Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman), a debunker, for help.
17. Inception
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Inception Movie Description
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief who can enter people’s dreams and steal their secrets. He is successful in the world of corporate espionage but has lost everything else because of it.
When he is given a chance to do something that seems impossible, planting an idea into someone’s mind, he takes it as an opportunity for redemption. However, his enemy already knows all his moves which makes it dangerous.
18. The Vault
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The Vault Movie Description
A skilled engineer joins a team of robbers aiming to steal an immense, hidden treasure from the Bank of Spain while the whole nation is distracted by the World Cup.
With security forces quickly approaching and thousands of soccer fans celebrating in the streets, the crew has only minutes to pull off what could be their biggest heist yet.
19. Point Break
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Point Break Movie Description
Johnny Utah, (Keanu Reeves) a federal agent, investigates a group of bank robbers in Southern California who wear masks of former presidents. He falls in love with Tyler, a surfer close to the gang, which makes his sense of duty complicated.
20. Drive
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Drive Movie Description
Driver is a Hollywood stuntman who, to make extra money, works as a getaway driver for criminals. Driver becomes friendly with his attractive neighbor Irene and her young son, Benicio.
However, when Irene’s husband is released from jail, he asks Driver for help with a million-dollar robbery. The plan quickly falls apart and Driver must use every tactic he knows to save Irene and Benicio from the criminals behind the failed robbery attempt.
21. Rififi
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Rififi Movie Description
Tony (Jean Servais), fresh out of prison after a five-year sentence, turns down a job offer from his friend Jo (Carl Mohner). He’s not interested in a simple smash-and-grab; he wants to see Mado (Marie Sabouret) again, who has moved on during his absence and is now seeing a local gangster named Pierre (Marcel Lupovici).
Tony and his crew expand their robbery into a full-scale jewel heist, but their actions after the job threaten the lives of everyone involved.
22. Widows
Widows Movie Description
After their husbands are killed in a botched robbery attempt, four widows decide to team up and pull off the heist their husbands were planning.
They have very little in common except for a massive debt left behind by their husbands, and together they make a plan to get the money they need.
23. The Pink Panther
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The Pink Panther Movie Description
Chief Inspector Dreyfus assigns his best officers to track down the thieves of a French soccer coach’s ring in secret while publicly assigning the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau as head of the case. Though Clouseau seems hopeless, he eventually puts himself on the real killer’s trail through a series of accidents.
24. The Usual Suspects
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The Usual Suspects Movie Description
Con man Kint (Kevin Spacey) tells a story of how he and his partners were drawn into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion. He suggests that the most enigmatic criminal of all time, Keyser Soze, was responsible.
The feds are skeptical, but Kint attempts to convince them that the mythic crime lord not only exists but is also culpable for the disaster.
25. The Bank Job
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The Bank Job Movie Description
Terry Leather, a former petty criminal turned car dealer, is struggling to make ends meet for his family. However, when his ex-girlfriend Martine comes to him with an opportunity for a high-paying bank heist, Terry reconsiders returning to crime.
Things become complicated though when Terry discovers other agendas at play and people who want more than just the money from the robbery.
26. Man on a Ledge
Man On The Ledge Movie Description
As police negotiator Lydia Spencer (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) down from the ledge of a high-rise building, she begins to suspect that he has an ulterior motive behind his actions.
5 More Heist Movies (Honorable Mentions)
While our top picks have highlighted the best heist movies of all time, there are certainly plenty of other great titles to check out. These honorable mentions may not have made our top list, but that’s not to say they aren’t worth watching!
These films will also provide you with some top-notch entertainment. So if you have watched through all of our top choices, here are a few more heist movies to explore!
- Thief (1981)
- Ronin (1998)
- Entrapment (1991)
- Out Of Sight (1998)
- Red Notice (2021)