A Glean movie guide
The Ultimate Heist Movie Guide
Plan the job. Execute the plan.
From meticulous masterminds to high-stakes getaways, these are the genre's finest hours.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Heat
A sprawling, hyper-realistic masterpiece of tactical precision and professional obsession.
Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
- 02
Rififi
Famous for its 28-minute silent robbery, this is the foundational text of the heist genre.
Out of prison after a five-year stretch, jewel thief Tony turns down a quick job his friend Jo offers him, until he discovers that his old girlfriend Mado has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter during Tony's absence. Expanding a minor smash-and-grab into a full-scale jewel heist, Tony and his crew appear to get away clean, but their actions after the job is completed threaten the lives of everyone involved.
- 03
Ocean's Eleven
A stylish, star-studded caper that defines the 'cool' ensemble heist movie.
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.
- 04
The Sting
A charming and intricate 'long con' classic where the twist is as satisfying as the score.
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
Inception
A mind-bending thriller that applies classic heist mechanics to the architecture of dreams.
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
Inside Man
A brilliant intellectual battle between a perfect thief and a determined negotiator.
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.
- 07
Thief
Michael Mann’s debut offers a gritty, technically accurate look at the life of a professional safe-cracker.
Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.
- 08
The Italian Job
An iconic British caper featuring the most famous Mini Cooper getaway in cinema history.
Charlie's got a 'job' to do. Having just left prison he finds one of his friends has attempted a high-risk job in Torino, Italy, right under the nose of the mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far, so Charlie takes over the 'job'. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars, and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal a fortune in gold and escape in the chaos.
- 09
Widows
A tense and grounded modern thriller about four women forced to pull off a high-stakes robbery.
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
Dog Day Afternoon
A raw, high-tension drama based on a real-life bank robbery that spirals out of control.
Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny's motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus.