Heist movies emerged in the 1950s and soon became a popular subgenre among moviegoers. Entering pop culture with movies like The Asphalt Jungle, Bonnie and Clyde, or The Italian Job, this particular rendition of crime films evolved through time. It started to incorporate traits that belonged to comedy, thriller, or action movies. Notwithstanding the different renderings of heist movies, some have relied on plot twists to intensify even more the tension and displace the audience.
This list presents 10 heist movies that took plot twists to another level and pushed them to the limit. From The Sting and House of Games to Inside Man and The Usual Suspects, these movies gave their own interpretation of the heist subgenre and cemented it as a tense and sometimes funny movie experience.
10 House of Games
Written and directed by David Mamet, House of Games features Lindsay Crouse as a psychiatrist who gets involved with a professional con man named Mike Mancuso (Joe Mantegna). After signing some of the best screenplays in cinema, David Mamet debuted with this amazing and tense thriller that resembles in many aspects a classic noir.
House of Games is mostly characterized by a pitch-perfect screenplay that emphasizes the psychological aspects of the characters; at the same time, the dialogue featured is typical of the best Mamet: sharp, witty, and engaging. The main characters' performances are as great as their lines, and the deliveries of Mantegna and Crouse are flawless. House of Games was fundamental in showcasing Mamet's already-known writing capacities and his powerful and straightforward directing. A movie that grows in you with time.
9 Trance
During the auction of Francisco Goya's Witches in the Air, a crew of thieves tries to rob the ultra-expensive painting. Auctioneer Simon Newton (James McAvoy) follows protocol in case of attempted robbery and secures the painting in the auction house's vault. However, the robbers' leader Franck (Vincent Cassel) finds the vault, takes the painting, and hits Simon's head, leaving him unconscious. Everything changes when Franck realizes that he was able to secure only the frame of Goya's painting.
Trance had tepid box office results in 2013, and it is considered a lesser-known movie in Danny Boyle's filmography. The movie, however, features an amazing performance by James McAvoy and the classic stylish directing of the English filmmaker in between action sequences and hits of black humor. Trance is an entertaining heist movie that should be re-discovered and appreciated more for its vivid colors and solid performances.
8 Inside Man
Inside Man was directed by Spike Lee and stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Frazier, a New York policeman whose in charge of negotiating with Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), the leader of a group of robbers. Russell and his clique take control of a Manhattan bank and have hostages. The movie was successful at the box office and features strong performances by both Washington and Owen.
Inside Man shines firstly for the vigorous and powerful directing of Spike Lee and the magnificent screenplay, full of unforgettable dialogue and essential in conveying the dynamic between Detective Frazier and Russell. At the same time, the cinematography by Matthew Libatique is magnificent and fundamental in conveying the struggle between the police and the robbers stylistically, with its different use of cameras for both parties. Inside Man is a masterful heist movie like few.
7 Matchstick Men
Co-written and directed by Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men stars Nicolas Cage in the role of Roy Waller, a con artist that suffers from Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along with his associate Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), they scam customers with a fake lottery and overpriced water filters. As they start working on a big con project, Waller's daughter Angela (Alison Lohman) returns to his life.
With its usual robust and detailed style, Ridley Scott directs Matchstick Men perfectly. At the same time, what stands out is the magnificent screenplay co-wrote by brothers Ted and Nicholas Griffin: a mix of humor and drama that works perfectly. Nicolas Cage gives one of his best performances to date and is confident in his portrayal of a man whose life is impacted by neurodiversity. Matchstick Men is a lesser-seen movie in Scott's filmography that needs to be praised more.
6 Inception
Written, co-produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception is a sui generis heist movie that blends amazingly science fiction and thriller without leaving out some action sequences. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are highly specialized thieves who infiltrate their target's subconscious through dreams to subtract information for corporate espionage. They are hired by Saito (Ken Watanabe) to infiltrate his business rival's son Robert Michael Fischer (Cillian Murphy).
Inception lives thanks to the intricacy and potency of its screenplay and the muscular direction of Nolan. The action sequences, shot mostly without the use of CGI, are impressive in their scale and originality. At the same time, the movie is exquisitely shot and features intelligent use of slow motion for the dream infiltrations. Inception mixes genres like few movies do and offers us an entertaining and witty take on the heist category.
5 Widows
Co-written and directed by English master Steve McQueen, Widows is based on the homonymous 1983 British TV series and features an ensemble cast among which we find Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson. In Chicago, four widows decide to steal $5 million from a politician to pay their deceased husbands' debt to a crime boss.
Widows is characterized by McQueen's strong and grounded directing, who doesn't err in a single camera placement. Simultaneously, the cast is tremendous and on point in their delivery, especially Viola Davis. Widows is also an intelligent movie that masterfully mixes the classic themes of a heist movie with a political subtext about late-stage capitalism. This tense heist film mixes form and substance like few modern big-budget movies do, delivering a thoughtful and engaging story.
4 Drive
Written by Hossein Amini and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive is based on the homonymous novel by James Sallis and features Ryan Gosling as a mysterious driver who works as a stunt and mechanic by day and as a getaway driver for robberies at night. Everything changes when he meets his new neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and gets involved with Albanian and Italian gangsters.
Nicolas Winding Refn's visual style extremely changed with Drive, leaving behind the gritty visuals of his previous movies for more slick and stylish images. The opening scene is enough to capture Refn's evolution and is decisive for Gosling's mark in cinema history. At the same time, Drive cannot be forgotten for its amazing soundtrack, a mix of already-released songs, and original work by composer Cliff Williams. Drive is simply spotless and a milestone in the heist genre.
3 The Sting
The Sting is a quintessential caper movie directed by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. This heist subgenre focuses exclusively on detailing the preparation and execution of a big robbery. In this case, Johnny Hooker (Redford) and Henry Gondorff (Newman) plan a big revenge robbery against the crime lord Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Inspired by a true story, The Sting was a box-office success and a catch-all at the 1974 Academy Awards.
The Sting features an amazing screenplay, with iconic and unforgettable lines, that is simultaneously complex and entertaining. Moreover, the movie's pace with which it describes the hit is amazing. Redford and Newman are extremely talented, and this movie showcases in the best way the capacities of American actors, close-knitted and effective on screen. The Sting is a classic Hollywood entertaining movie that captures you with its evolution and story.
2 Reservoir Dogs
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs is a superb independent film that has gained its cult status thanks to memorable scenes and classic Tarantinian dialogue. It features an ensemble cast comprising Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Tarantino himself. Reservoir Dogs tells the story of a team of thieves who decide to rob a jewelry store and the aftermath of the hit.
Deeply influenced by 1950s American noirs, Reservoir Dogs is one of the greatest debut movies ever and a superb showcase of Tarantino's writing and directorial talent. The genius move in the screenplay is omitting to show the actual robbery, creating an atmosphere of doubt and mystery that perfectly suit the movie's tone. At the same time, the cast is great at delivering the different characters in the story. Immense.
1 The Usual Suspects
No list dealing with plot twists could be complete without The Usual Suspects. Co-produced and directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects sees Kevin Spacey interpreting the con man Roger Kint, nicknamed Verbal. The FBI interrogates Kint about an explosion that left many dead bodies in the San Pedro Harbor. The criminal reveals to them the connection between the explosion and a mysterious crime boss named Keyser Söze.
Christopher McQuarrie superbly wrote The Usual Suspects and, not by chance, won the prize for Best Screenplay at the 1995 Academy Awards. The story is extremely tangled and intricate, like in the best noirs, while at the same time remaining engaging enough to attract and glue the audience to the seats. Furthermore, Kevin Spacey is in top shape and delivers one of his most famous interpretations. The Usual Suspects is synonymous with plot twists.