10 best heist movies with inventive con artists and unexpected plot twists (11 photos)

Films about clever burglars and con artists are a distinct genre, relying on calculated actions and the daring ideas of colorful characters as the main draw. The scripts of such films are often structured in such a way that the viewer is constantly on the edge of their seats, trying to unravel the authors' intentions. World cinema boasts many legendary action films about robbers and adventurers, each with excellent plots and a superb cast.





1. Ocean's Eleven (2001)



Director: Steven Soderbergh.

Danny Ocean, a skilled thief, plans a new, sophisticated crime after being released from prison. Ocean plans an unprecedented heist of three top gambling establishments simultaneously—a daunting, practically impossible task for a lone wolf. But if he assembles a team of professionals, this ambitious plan could very well be accomplished. The Las Vegas casinos belong to Terry Benedict, who stole the protagonist's beloved woman, and the thief must be punished. Denny embarks on a tour of America to recruit the most experienced specialists and thieves for this unthinkable adventure. Each character is the best in their field, and together they form an unrivaled team.

2. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)





Director: Guy Ritchie.

A cult crime film, one of the top 10 heist films, tells the story of four con men who find themselves in a difficult situation and are trying to get out of it. The guys have saved up £100,000 to take part in an underground high-stakes card game. But Eddie couldn't beat the experienced card sharper, and now the hapless friends must raise half a million in a week to pay off their gambling debt. Failure to pay leaves them with grim prospects. They solve the problem simply by robbing their drug-dealing neighbors, thereby triggering a full-blown criminal war. The film is full of action, dark humor, a superb soundtrack, a multitude of subplots, and colorful characters. Viewers witness brutal fights, shootouts, and clever escapades, literally immersing themselves in the very heart of the British criminal underworld. A brilliant debut film from Guy Ritchie.

3. Snatch (2000)



Director: Guy Ritchie.

This second crime thriller centers on a large diamond that Frankie is tasked with bringing to the United States for his cousin Evie. But his love of underground fighting backfires, and the boss is forced to resolve the situation himself. Several plot lines are intricately intertwined around the jewel, involving robbers major and minor, con artists, gypsies, drug addicts, and other denizens of London's underworld. The film is permeated with an atmosphere of deception and cynicism, perfectly reinforced by the accompanying soundtrack. The film leaves an unforgettable impression thanks to a constellation of excellent actors, memorable dialogue, charismatic characters, and signature English humor.

4. The Gentlemen (2019)



Director: Guy Ritchie.

Ritchie's new film is a signature combination of plot, humor, cinematography, dialogue, and a dazzling cast, accompanied by a perfectly chosen score. The film features several storylines, each featuring its own characters, from bandits with aristocratic airs to common crooks and hooligans. Drug kingpin Mickey Pearson wants to retire and join the establishment. Once an Oxford graduate, he chose a life of crime and executed a brilliant plan to get rich. Problems arise when he decides to sell his business. Other influential mobsters don't want the lucrative operation to be snapped up by Americans, and another clash between the giants of the criminal underworld is brewing.

5. Catch Me If You Can (2003)



Director: Steven Spielberg.

This gripping detective drama with comedic elements is based on the documentary about the daring master swindler Frank Abagnale. Frank is a brilliant master of forgery and disguise, and he operates so skillfully that by the age of 21 he has become a millionaire and the target of the FBI's attention. Agent Carl Hanratty managed to arrest the conman several times, but the criminal always managed to outsmart the police and escape. After apprehending Frank for the last time, the law enforcement officer convinces him to work for the law.

6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)



Director: Quentin Tarantino.

A brutal and truthful crime drama – the debut of the brilliant Quentin Tarantino.

How to rob a jewelry store in broad daylight? Devise a brilliant plan and assemble a team of professionals. That's what crime boss Joe Cabott did. He united six seasoned criminals, all talented criminals, and it seemed like his plan was destined for a brilliant end. After all, all the robbers operated under aliases and knew nothing about each other. But something went wrong; the robbers fell into a police trap and barely escaped, losing two of their men. Now the survivors are trying to understand why their perfect plan failed and are busy searching for whoever set them up.

7. Inside Man (2006)



Director: Spike Lee.

One of the most compelling cinematic stories about the perfect heist. At the center of the intrigue is the psychological battle between gang leader Russell and tough detective Fraser. Both the cunning robber and the conscientious cop evoke genuine sympathy, and, surprisingly, they have a lot in common.

The plot seems simple: robbers break into a bank, take hostages, and make a series of demands on the police. But gradually, the action unfolds in a completely unpredictable manner, and it becomes clear that we are dealing with an intellectual crime. The film perfectly combines drama and humor, and viewers are sure to be impressed by the New York views and the wonderful cast.

8. Now You See Me (2013)



Director: Louis Leterrier.

A team of four young illusionists, assembled and inspired by a mysterious sponsor, put on spectacular shows that literally captivate audiences. The highlight of the Four Horsemen's performance is a bank robbery, which, as it turns out, is not a trick, but a real crime. Law enforcement agencies are involved in the case, and, as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes discovers, the bank stunt was a cover for a much more sophisticated scam. The cunning con artists managed to fool not only a robbery specialist but also a competent expert debunker who was monitoring the performances of the brilliant stuntmen. The film is full of vivid events and magic, and the denouement is so unusual that it deserves special applause from the audience.

9. The Town (2010)



Director: Ben Affleck.

A stunning detective drama about the lives of the city's underworld inhabitants. The film's heroes are professional robbers who have carved out their own niche in the criminal underworld. They are quite successful criminals, with their own style—dressing up in unique costumes to rob banks and armored cars. The bandits in this action film have difficult lives, and as you gradually learn their stories, you begin to connect with them and empathize, as they were born in a city of thieves and have no other occupation. The film is full of adrenaline, chases, shootouts, and robberies, but the main question posed by the filmmakers is how to make a choice when there is essentially no choice. Fans of the genre will definitely enjoy the film; it is beautifully and well-made, and the style is very reminiscent of British crime thrillers.

10. The Italian Job (2003)



Director: F. Gary Gray.

An excellent remake of the 1969 Italian film with a very strong cast. A team of bank robbers, with the sophistication of chess players, calculated every possible scenario during a gold heist worth millions of dollars. The gang is a symbiosis of brilliant masters of their craft, a mastermind, a bomber, a hacker, a race car driver, and several less colorful characters. When the job is done, and the loot is in the robbers' hands, one of the gang members simply steals the gold prize from his accomplices. Now the rest need to find the traitor's location and take the gold from him.