Ocean’s 11, Mission Impossible, The Fast & The Furious… What do all of these movies have in common?
They are all centered around incredible, action-packed heists that audiences find impossible to look away from.
In reality, we look down on people stealing from others. In the fictitious worlds movies allow us to step into though, we root for the bag guys and applaud the illegal transfer of valuables.
In case you haven’t realized by this point, our team is a group of suckers for awesome heist movies.
To share our love, below, we’ve compiled a list of the best heist movies we think have ever been made!
Contents
1. Mission Impossible Rouge Nation
We’re going to crack open our list with a recent addition into the best heist movies cannon that absolutely blew our minds – Rouge Nation.
Rouge Nation picks up the gauntlet from the many excellent Mission Impossible predecessors and turns the formula up a notch by hitting us with bigger stakes, bigger stunts, and a spectacular performance by Tom Cruise who has firmly cemented himself as the best action movie star in the world.
For those of you that didn’t catch Rouge Nation, it follows the Mission Impossible franchise’s protagonist Ethan as he works to thwart a group of international terrorists.
We won’t give too much more away… Just go watch it!
2. Logan Lucky
We love all heist movies but our favorite kinds are the ones that add comedy to the theft mix.
Enter Logan Lucky.
Logan Lucky is a hilarious film starring Channing Tatum that follows two brothers that aim to rob a major NASCAR event. During the robbery process, a ton of hi-jinks ensue leading up to a twist ending that we absolutely loved!
One of the best aspects of Logan Lucky is the character played by Daniel Craig who is a blast to watch!
3. Drive
No best heist movies list is complete without mentioning Nicolas Winding Refn’s masterpiece Drive.
Drive is set against the backdrop of modern Los Angeles and follows a getaway driver’s trials as he helps crooks rob everything from warehouses to pawnshops.
During one heist, the movie’s protagonist gets in over his head when he finds himself in the middle of an inside job gone wrong. He has to fight his way out of his tanglings while also keeping safe the woman he loves.
Bottom line… Drive has all of the makings of an excellent heist movie and sets itself apart with its stylish motif.
4. Rouge One: A Star Wars Story
It’s gritty, doesn’t pull punches, and its ending is so satisfying that we love recommending it to anybody looking to tackle some best heist movies over the weekend.
The object that’s being stolen during Rouge One is none other than the plans for the Death Star. This heist is what sets up the first Star Wars Movie, A New Hope.
5. Inception
This is definitely the most cerebral best heist movie in existence which is what you’d expect from director Christopher Nolan.
In Inception, a band of dream invaders led by Leonardo DiCaprio works to hijack a person’s brain to influence a big decision he’s going to make that will affect the fate of a major company.
Inception warrants 2 or 3 watches given its complex concept, but even with one watch, you’ll appreciate its stylistic flair and high-octane pacing.
6. The Bling Ring
The Bling Ring was met with mixed reviews but we love director Sophia Cappolla’s sensibilities when it comes to conducting character pieces and for us, this film showcases that talent.
In The Bling Ring, we follow a group of teenagers who are obsessed with robbing celebrity homes (all of whom should probably go to this website to step up their security).
We liked the fact that the film followed a non-fiction narrative and that a lot of the stories you get dropped into are recognizable from the news.
7. Tower Heist
Remember when we said that heist movies that incorporated laughs were among our favorites?
That love of theft and comedy is why Tower Heist has landed on this list.
Tower Heist is a Ben Stiller movie that, true to form, doesn’t ask too much of its audience. Still, it’s exciting to watch and has some depth thanks to Casey Affleck’s strong performance.
The film is definitely worth streaming during a slow evening.
8. Fast Five
Any one of the Fast & The Furious movies could have made it on this list. To give other films a chance though, we decided to showcase our favorite in the franchise, Fast Five.
Fast Five did a lot of things to set up the franchise for its modern-day success. It added The Rock to its already stellar cast, it punched up the movie’s visual effects, and really embraced its knack for brainless thrills!
9. Ocean’s 8
Alright… We know that Ocean’s 8 isn’t the best film in the franchise by a mile. We thought it was worth mentioning though because when the heck else do you get to see a group of women carrying a heist flick?
Pretty much never…
We liked this film for its laughs and loved it because we enjoy seeing strong female characters in cinema!
Wrapping up the Best Heist Movies Ever to Grace the Silver Screen
We’ve just shared 9 of the best heist movies we think have ever graced the silver screen.
If you haven’t seen any of the movies on this list, we highly recommend you cancel whatever you’re doing this weekend and get to watching. You won’t be disappointed!
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