“the great train robbery”, the precursor to the heist film.
“the asphalt jungle”, the first true heist film.
“the killing”, the heist film perfected.
“reservoir dogs”, a great anti-heist film.
Rififi – Jules Dassin. The heist is pure brilliance.
also “odds against tomorrow”. one of the last of the great classic period heist films.
Asphalt Jungle
The Killing
The Heist(underrated David Mamet film)
Riffi
Any number of Melville films
Heat
Topkapi.
i have a soft spot for “grand slam”.
Dassin struck gold a second time with Topkapi. Points, too, for The Hot Rock and The Italian Job (either version, ‘though the remake gets the edge from me). An honorable mention to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, even if it’s more of a hijacking than a heist.
I really enjoyed Mario Monicelli’s “Big Deal on Madonna Street”, which not a lot of people seem to talk about. It’s funny, the story is enjoyable, and Marcello Mastroianni is in it. What more could one ask for?
It’s already been said, but it needs to be said again because it’s one of the best and every heist movie that came after it borrowed heavily from it:
Rififi
Other ones that I enjoyed:
The Thomas Crown Affair (didn’t see the original, but the newer one is decent…LOVE the last heist, though…brilliant in its simplicity)
Ronin
Bandits
The Sting
Thanks guys. Just watched Rififi, it was awesome.
Man on Wire
Out of Sight
House of Games (more con than heist)
Melville’s Le Cercle Rouge
“Take The Money And Run” is a fun heist comedy.
Rififi
Bob Le Falbeur
Le Cercle Rouge
Un Flic
Heat
Couldn’t help but notice these were missing.
“Bonnie And Clyde”
“Dog Day Afternoon”
“The Lavender Hill Mob”
“bonnie and clyde” isn’t a heist film. neither is “heat”. they’re just films that feature heists, among other things.
i think the sodherberg “ocean’s 11” is a great heist film.
Would the original “Italian Job” be considered a heist film?
The heist film begins and ends with Le Cercle Rogue.
That’s the plain truth Alanedit !!
i dont think “le cercle rouge” is better than “rififi”.
and in my opinion, it begins and ends with “the killing”. its a perfect heist movie, and a perfect film to boot.
In terms of the bungled heist, Sidney Lumet’s brilliant Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead is a fine companion piece to his Dog Day Afternoon. The Killing really does take some beating, though. Let’s just avoid any mention of Killing Zoe. Or, indeed, Hudson Hawk.
don’t forget BOB LE FLAMBEUR
Sneakers! Definitely in my all-time top ten, I’ve watched it countless times and it’s still clever and funny.
The Score was pretty good too. Brando as comic relief!
I was surprisingly pleased by the Ocean’s 11 remake.
I love heist/caper movies though, so this is a great thread — I’m always looking for more to watch. Rififi is on my Netflix queue!
dog day afternoon is my favourite, and agree with brendan that before the devil knows your dead is a great companion piece.
im surprised that no one has mentioned spike lee’s inside man yet, truly a great piece of post-2000 cinema.
Heist (the David Mamet one)
Odds Against Tomorrow
The Aura
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Three Kings
Un flic
The Anderson Tapes
The Pope of Greenwich Village
Femme Fatale
The Newton Boys
The Usual Suspects
The Killing
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Killing
Thief
Heat
Reservoir Dogs
The Usual Suspects
The Bank Job
Dog Day Afternoon
Inside Man
Take the Money and Run is on TCM Sat. 8 PM est.
My vote goes for Bob Le Flaumbeur. Very good Christopher, you’re only a scant 3 months ahead of me.
Matchstick Men was pretty good; one of Ridley Scott´s best. Also was the Spanish Prisoner. (or are they not heist genre at all?)
I would add one of my guilty pleasures: Confidence. It´s not a masterpiece but its great entertaiment, I always keep watching it if I stumble into it on TV.
Sneakers is another guilty pleasure, it´s a really stupid script, but the cast gets such a chemistry going that makes it watchable. The Inside Man was a really nice surprise: Lee added little bits of multicultural discourse in the secondary characters wich made the film alive.
I just saw Flawless and really enjoyed it.
Hey…no love for Snatch? Love this movie!
Michael
Any suggestions?