A Glean movie guide
The Art of the Double-Cross
Trust no one.
From legendary reveals to hidden agendas, these heists are never what they seem.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Usual Suspects
A masterclass in misdirection 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
Ocean's Eleven
A slick, high-energy caper where the real plan is hidden in plain sight until the very end.
Less than 24 hours into his parole, charismatic thief Danny Ocean is already rolling out his next plan: In one night, Danny's hand-picked crew of specialists will attempt to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos. But to score the cash, Danny risks his chances of reconciling with ex-wife, Tess.
- 03
The Sting
The ultimate long con that keeps the audience in the dark until the final curtain.
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
Inside Man
A brilliant bank robbery where the true objective is far more complex than just stealing money.
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.
- 05
The Handmaiden
A lush, three-part puzzle where every perspective shift changes everything you thought you knew.
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
Inception
A high-stakes 'heist of the mind' that culminates in one of cinema's most debated endings.
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.
- 07
Reservoir Dogs
A tense, non-linear standoff focused on unmasking a traitor after a jewelry job goes violently wrong.
A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors -- veteran Mr. White, newcomer Mr. Orange, psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde, bickering weasel Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie -- unravel.
- 08
Nine Queens
An intricate Argentinian thriller that proves the smallest scam can hide the biggest reveal.
Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".
- 09
Logan Lucky
A charming, blue-collar heist with a hidden layer of genius beneath its rough exterior.
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.
- 10
Widows
A grounded crime drama featuring a mid-movie revelation that shifts the entire narrative.
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.
- 11
Matchstick Men
A psychological con-artist tale that builds to a massive, perspective-shattering reversal.
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.
- 12
The Killing
Stanley Kubrick’s non-linear classic where a meticulous plan meets a cruel, ironic twist of fate.
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.