A Glean movie guide
Masterminds & Misdirection
Don't trust anyone.
The job is never what it seems in these clever, high-stakes thrillers.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Usual Suspects
A masterclass in the unreliable narrator that redefined the modern movie twist.
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
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.
- 03
The Sting
The ultimate 'con within a con' that set the gold standard for cinematic double-crosses.
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.
- 04
Inception
A mind-bending heist set within the subconscious where reality itself is the final reveal.
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
- 05
The Handmaiden
An exquisite, three-part puzzle where every alliance is a lie and every perspective shifts.
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.
- 06
Nine Queens
A fast-paced Argentinian gem that keeps you guessing who is the mark and who is the master.
Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".
- 07
Widows
A gritty, character-driven heist that packs a shocking emotional punch alongside its central job.
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.
- 08
Logan Lucky
A charming, blue-collar robbery that hides its genius behind a layer of Southern hospitality.
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.
- 09
Heist
A sharp, cynical thriller where the betrayals happen as fast as the dialogue.
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 flashy spectacle where stage magic and misdirection turn a bank robbery into a grand performance.
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.