# Best 'heist' films? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468 "2002-12-23T02:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/1 "2002-12-23T02:39:01Z")
Since I have been here, we have discussed the best horror films (at least twice), the best Westerns (it seems like ever six months), the best “chick flick”, the best movie musical and the best “slasher” film to name a few, but I’m not certain I remember us discussing the best “heist” film. **Ocean’s Eleven** , ala Sinatra and ala Clooney both come to mind but for me both lack something. Although I did enjoy the ending in the Sinatra version as they sat in the funeral home. **Swordfish** doesn’t even qualify for me. Too much flash and not enough substance. **Kelly’s Heros**? I don’t know, no subtlety. Same could be said for that Clooney thing **Three Kings**. **Topkapi** with Peter Ustinov is the one that comes to mind as the best for me. Delightful planning, tolerable errors, good rehearsals. And a fun ending. It worked for me. Other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/2 "2002-12-23T03:08:33Z")
**The Taking of Pelham One Two Three**. Robert Shaw tries to steal the 6 train out of The Bronx from under Walter Matthau nose. **F/X**. Here’s a movie that was a pleasant surprise. Brian Brown doesn’t even realize he’s in a heist film until late in the game. **Take The Money and Run**. Woody Allen does steal stuff. And the turkey leg beating is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/3 "2002-12-23T03:10:42Z")
I mean “the turkey leg beating scene” is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Hunsecker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Hunsecker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunsecker)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/4 "2002-12-23T03:17:37Z")
_Heist_, written and directed by David Mamet, was great because all of the characters were reasonably intelligent, the plot was just convoluted enough, and there was some great dialog. Two of his other movies, _The Spanish Prisoner_ and _House of Games_ were good too, but they were more about con games than heists. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/5 "2002-12-23T03:23:54Z")
My vote here has to go to _The Killing_. Kubrick’s 1956 masterpiece about a robbery at a race track is a must see, especially for any fan of _Resevoir Dogs_ - specifically for the exploration of different plot threads occuring simultaneously. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/6 "2002-12-23T03:24:10Z")
The Italian Job ---
**Author:** ![Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/7 "2002-12-23T03:25:45Z")
**Heat** is excellent, if not expressly focused on the heist. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/8 "2002-12-23T03:36:09Z")
Fish Called Wanda 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/9 "2002-12-23T04:10:13Z")
[The Getaway](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0068638)…starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw. Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Great movie. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/10 "2002-12-23T04:29:05Z")
It’s not _exactly_ a heist film, but _Diggstown_ is one of my favorite lovable-albeit-unethical-con-man-makes-evil-pay movies. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/11 "2002-12-23T04:39:24Z")
If you consider it a heist film, my absolute favorite is **The Thomas Crown Affair**. Great robbery at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/12 "2002-12-23T05:00:40Z")
**Thief** - By Michael Mann, Starring James Caan, Jim Belushi, Tuesday Weld, and Willie Nelson. (!!) It’s a great film. And incredibly accurate. They hired some ex-con safecrackers as technical consultants, and the shots of the safes being cracked in the movie are real, with real tools. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/13 "2002-12-23T05:03:01Z")
The Italian Job Rififi The Lavender Hill Mob The Pope of Greenwich Village Two Hands ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/14 "2002-12-23T05:07:56Z")
_$_ Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn conspire to rob safety deposit boxes in Gert Frobe’s bank in (I think) Dusseldorf. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/15 "2002-12-23T05:40:38Z")
I had forgotten so many of the ones mentioned. **SmackFu** , you are, of course, referring to the original film? Yeah, **Manda JO** , I tend to agree that it is not exactly a heist film in the accepted sense, but a great “con” film none the less. **Biggirl** , three great selections although my favorite scene in **Take the Money and Run** relating to a heist has to be “directing a film as a ruse for the the escape when another gang of robbers get in on the bank robbing part.” Some excellent suggestions people, and stupidly enough I totally forgot **Heist**. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/16 "2002-12-23T05:56:59Z")
**Sneakers** was kind of a heist. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/17 "2002-12-23T06:07:35Z")
How about John Huston’s _The Asphalt Jungle_? Even if it wasn’t the first “heist” movie, it was certainly influential in establishing the template for most subsequent “heist” movies. ---
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/18 "2002-12-23T06:34:38Z")
“Sexy Beast” although it is more about Ben Kingsley (absolutely brilliant, one of the best acting jobs I have ever seen) getting another character in the film to participate in a heist. ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/19 "2002-12-23T06:38:05Z")
The Score? It was very good, and not that long ago. Norton, Brando, and DeNiro. Goodfellas? ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468/20 "2002-12-23T07:20:43Z")
Not a heist movie, but a great gangster/quest movie: **The Hit,** starring John Hurt and Terence Stamp. Brilliant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heist-films/144468.md?page=2)