A Glean movie guide
The Art of the Double Cross
Don't trust the plan.
Heist movies where the robbery is only half the story.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Usual Suspects
A masterclass in narrative misdirection that redefined the identity-based plot 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 is hidden in plain sight until the very end.
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 'big con' movie, featuring a final act designed to deceive the audience and the antagonist alike.
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
Ocean's Eleven
A slick, stylish caper that hides its most clever maneuver behind a wall of charismatic distractions.
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.
- 05
Inception
A high-stakes heist set within the subconscious, where layers of reality create a famously ambiguous finale.
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.
- 06
The Handmaiden
An intricate, multi-layered con that uses shifting perspectives to reveal shocking depths of 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.
- 07
Reservoir Dogs
A tense post-heist breakdown centered on a lethal mystery: which one of the crew is the rat?
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
A fast-paced Argentinian thriller that keeps you guessing about who is conning whom until the final frame.
Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".
- 09
Widows
A gritty, character-driven robbery that subverts expectations with a massive mid-film revelation.
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.
- 10
Logan Lucky
A clever 'hillbilly heist' that proves there is much more to the plan than meets the eye.
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.
- 11
The Thomas Crown Affair
A sophisticated game of cat-and-mouse featuring a brilliant 'reverse heist' that outsmarts the investigators.
Bored billionaire executive Thomas Crown entertains himself by stealing a Monet from a reputed museum with an elaborate diversion. When Catherine Banning, the insurance company's investigator, takes an interest in Crown, he may have met his match, and a complicated back-and-forth game with seductive undertones begins between them.
- 12
Matchstick Men
A psychological character study that pivots into a devastatingly effective long-con reveal.
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.