Bank robbery movies would suggest that all one needs to execute the perfect heist is a gun, a duffle bag, a getaway car, and a clever disguise. However, the success or failure of the heist is usually less dependent on the tools of the trade and more dependent on the team dynamics and the scheme itself. The most interesting bank robbery movies are ones that do not follow the conventional formula. In examining popular bank robbery movies of the last century, they vary greatly in form and formula, ranging from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, who rode off on getaway horses, to Wisdom, wherein the Robin Hood-esque robbers favor wiping out people’s debt records over stealing their money.
Update September 27, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great bank robbery movies that are worth checking out.
Bank heist movies are a seemingly ever-enduring subgenre, capturing the full attention of audiences for decades. Audiences can’t resist the vicarious thrill of a suspenseful yet successful caper or, in the case of an unsuccessful one, the chance to dissect what went wrong and entertain notions on how they would’ve done it better. While many more heist movies are certainly worth celebrating that are not included in this list, we tried to keep the focus on heist movies that take place in banks or around the goal of stealing from banks. Here are the best bank robbery movies, ranked.
18 The Lookout (2007)
The Lookout stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as former high school jock Chris Pratt, who gets into a car crash that leaves him with lifelong mental impairments. As he tries to find his new normal following the accident, Pratt gets a job as a cleaner at a local bank. Soon, he is befriended by a former schoolmate with ill intentions, who manipulates him into helping them rob the bank where he works. The Lookout is one of the best bank robbery movies of all time because of its interesting and complex ensemble cast of characters that propel the story.
17 Ambulance (2022)
When a loved one is sick, people will do anything to try to take care of them. That is exactly the case of Ambulance. In this Michael Bay film, two brothers (Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) attempt to steal millions of dollars to help pay for a loved one's surgery. The heist goes horribly wrong when the pair hijacks an ambulance with an injured officer and an EMT on board. Ambulance is a high-octane thrill ride that only Michael Bay can deliver, transitioning from a bank robbery to a feature-length car chase through Los Angeles.
16 Now You See Me (2013)
Not only is Now You See Me one of the best magician movies of all time, but it is a fantastic bank robbery film, too. It showcases four talented magicians who, during their shows, successfully take money out of the accounts of corrupt people and give the money to audience members. The FBI, along with the help of a magician debunker, tries to catch the magicians in the act.
The film has a loaded cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Jessie Eisenberg. This is one of the more unique bank robbery films because instead of guns and violence, this team is using stagecraft and the illusion of magic. It is a thrilling ride from start to finish.
15 The Real McCoy (1993)
The Real McCoy is one of the best bank robbery movies because of its interesting twist on the traditional hold-up. Proficient thief Karen McCoy doesn't leave things to chance. Instead, she robs banks when they are closed. The movie stars Kim Basinger as Karen McCoy, a convicted bank robber who has just been released from prison and is trying to turn her life around. When her former employer, who previously left her behind to be arrested, tries to convince her to do one last job, Karen refuses until he kidnaps her son to motivate her.
14 Bandits (2001)
Bandits stars Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis as two unlikely partners in crime who simplify the process of robbing banks by confronting the bank managers in their homes, spending the night at their homes, and arriving at the bank the following morning with their targets. The film is inspired by the real-life crimes of bank robbers Terry Lee Connor and Joseph Daugherty. Bandits is one of the best bank robbery movies because of the amazing chemistry and comedic timing of the three lead characters.
13 Fast Five (2011)
Not many bank robberies and chase scenes in cinema involve two cars pulling a vault carrying millions of dollars, but Fast Five. isn't most movies. After breaking Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) out of a prison bus, Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker), Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), and Dom escape to Rio. In Rio, with the help of old friends, the group must tangle with a corrupt businessman who wants them dead. However, a team of DSS agents are also on their tails. Fast Five shifted the franchise from a street racing series to a heist film, and the bank robbery scene in the film is a real highlight. It is so iconic it is revisited in Fast X.
12 Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
The third installment of the Die Hard franchise, Die Hard with a Vengeance, sees Bruce Willis reprise his role as hardened New York Cop John McClane. McClane teams up with reluctant sidekick Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) in a lethal game of "Simon Says" as one deranged lunatic sends them on a wild goose chase, decoding riddles and disarming bombs across the city, all to divert attention away from their true mark, the Federal Reserve. Die Hard with a Vengeance is one of the best bank robbery films because of its clever plot twist and the exciting game of cat and mouse in it.
11 Set It Off (1996)
Set It Off is one of the best bank robbery movies of all time because, in the 90s, an all female-led cast was a rarity, let alone one starring four powerful Black women. The film stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise as a group of close friends who plot to rob a bank to improve their lives and the lives of their respective families. When their employer finds and steals their spoils at the cleaning company where they work, the women must rob another bank to secure their future. However, things quickly fall apart leading to tragedy. According to Rachel Handler of Vulture, Set it Off "is the best, most affecting heist movie ever made".
10 The Bank Job (2008)
The Bank Job stars Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows as Terry Leather and Martine Love, respectively, who plan a robbery on London’s Baker Street, targeting a room full of safety deposit boxes brimming with valuables. The Bank Job is one of the best bank robbery movies of all time because it is based on the real-life Baker Street robbery in 1971, during which the thieves rented a neighboring shop and tunneled 40 feet to the bank. To date, the stolen goods have never been recovered.
9 Stander (2003)
Stander chronicles the crimes of the most infamous bank robber in South Africa’s history, Andre Stander. Played by Thomas Jane, Stander was both a police officer and a bank robber. He was known for his bold nature and daring robberies wherein he would use his lunch break (from the police force) to rob banks and often times return to the scene of the crime later on to investigate his own robbery. This stranger-than-fiction twist on your typical bank robbery is what makes Stander an extremely intriguing film.
8 Point Break (1991)
Keanu Reeves stars as former college footballer turned FBI agent Johnny Utah, who has been tasked with investigating a string of seasonal robberies committed by a group of assailants wearing masks of former presidents. Throughout the investigation, Utah and his more seasoned partner Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey) theorize that the bank robberies are very likely committed by a group of local surfers. Agent Utah goes undercover to discover the identities of the notorious “ex-presidents”, but it’s not long before his cover is blown.
Point Break is one of the best bank robbery movies of all time because it is an expertly crafted action movie with a particularly great performance by Patrick Swayze as Bodhi. It is also undoubtedly a career high-point for a relatively new director at the time in Kathryn Bigelow. The film was so successful it spawned a 2015 remake of the same name, and there was also talk of a potential Point Break sequel series that would focus on Johnny Utah's story after the events of the original film.
7 The Town (2010)
A crew of childhood friends makes their living by robbing banks in The Town. During a job, the masked bank robbers take assistant manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage, but they release her unharmed. Things get complicated when one of the masked thieves, Doug (Ben Affleck), begins courting her secretly. On top of that, they are being pursued by hard-nosed FBI Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm).
In typical heist movie fashion, the expert crew plans one last job that is going to set them up for life, in this case, robbing Fenway Park. While the bank robbery scene is only the beginning of the movie, it sets the tone for the entire picture.
6 The Old Man and the Gun (2018)
The Old Man and the Gun sees Robert Redford play the role of a 74-year-old bank robber. After being on the run for a few years, old man Forrest Tucker has made a streak of unbelievable bank heists without using fear or violence as a weapon. This bank robbery film is not violent and instead is warm and witty. This was Redford's last film before he announced his retirement from acting, and it certainly was a strong one to go out on.
5 Inside Man (2006)
Inside Man is a star-studded thriller about a high-stakes hostage situation that transpires during an attempted bank robbery. The film is expertly written, thoroughly entertaining, and keeps you thinking from beginning to end. Furthermore, the performances by Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster are phenomenal, which makes Inside Man one of the greatest bank robbery movies ever made. It is also one of Spike Lee's most underrated films.
4 Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Dog Day Afternoon is based on the Life magazine article “The Boys in the Bank”. It is a semi-biographical account of the 1972 robbery committed by real-life bank robber John Wojtowicz. The three men in the film, played by Al Pacino, Sal Naturile, and Chris Sarandon, intended the robbery to be a simple undertaking, but things quickly fall apart, leading to a dangerous hostage situation and FBI intervention. There is also a surprising twist when learning of the thieves’ motivations behind the robbery. This film was a critical and commercial success and was nominated for a slew of awards, which makes it one of the best bank robbery films of all time.
3 Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
One of the defining movies of the 1960s and began the transition from the Old Hollywood system to the New Hollywood auteur era, Bonnie and Clyde was revolutionary at the time. With Faye Dunaway and Warren Battey as the titular outlaws, the film was known for its excessive violence. The movie tells the life and times of the iconic bank-robbing duo and their wild, passionate love story.
Bonnie and Clyde was a groundbreaking movie. Its success prompted other filmmakers to be more open to sex and violence in films. It was selected into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1992. Bonnie and Clyde is a must-watch, and it speaks highly of the top film that somehow managed to beat a classic like this.
2 Heat (1995)
Career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) plans his last big score while simultaneously trying to straighten out one of his crew who has stepped out of line. Meanwhile, he is being hunted by LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who is dealing with personal problems of his own. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, the two men share a mutual respect. What makes Heat great is the level of authenticity the film has.
Director Michael Mann filmed the movie on location wherever possible rather than on studio sets, and the actors were also given extensive weapons training, which pays off in the iconic shoot-out scene. Moreover, it was dubbed the best bank robbery movie ever by real-life bank robber Shon Hopwood. Who can argue with that?