A Glean movie guide
Mastermind Heists & Massive Twists
Don't trust anyone.
Movies where the job is never what it seems and the ending changes everything.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Usual Suspects
A legendary mystery where a failed heist leads to one of cinema's most iconic final reveals.
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.
- 02
The Handmaiden
A visually stunning three-part puzzle where every layer of the con reveals a deeper deception.
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sookee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
- 03
Inside Man
A brilliant bank robbery where the true objective remains hidden until the very last second.
When an armed, masked gang enter a Manhattan bank, lock the doors and take hostages, the detective assigned to effect their release enters negotiations preoccupied with corruption charges he is facing.
- 04
The Sting
The ultimate long con that keeps both the target and the audience guessing until the curtain falls.
A novice con man teams up with an acknowledged master to avenge the murder of a mutual friend by pulling off the ultimate big con and swindling a fortune from a big-time mobster.
- 05
Nine Queens
A fast-paced Argentinian thriller where a simple street hustle evolves into a massive, multi-layered trap.
Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".
- 06
Widows
A gritty, character-driven heist that pivots on a shocking mid-film revelation about the past.
A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses' criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, they join forces to pull off a heist.
- 07
Logan Lucky
A clever 'hillbilly heist' that hides its true mechanics behind a wall of charm and misdirection.
Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- 08
Matchstick Men
A phobic con artist's life is upended by a twist that redefines his entire emotional journey.
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.
- 09
Heist
A sharp, dialogue-heavy thriller where shifting loyalties make it impossible to know who is double-crossing whom.
Joe Moore has a job he loves. He's a thief. His job goes sour when he gets caught on security camera tape. His fence, Bergman, reneges on the money he's owed, and his wife may be betraying him with the fence's young lieutenant. Moore and his partner, Bobby Blane, and their utility man, Pinky Pincus, find themselves broke, betrayed, and blackmailed. Moore is forced to commit his crew to do one last big job.
- 10
Now You See Me
A high-energy spectacle where magicians use grand illusions to pull off impossible bank robberies.
An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.