7 Best Heist Movies of the Last 20 Years (That Aren’t Fast & Furious)

There are classic heist films, such as Michael Mann’s Heat, and then there’s the worst of the worst, like 3000 Miles to Graceland. What follows is a list of those that fall on the former side, but within the time frame of the last twenty years, and without a member of Dominic Toretto’s “family” in sight. To be included, the movie had to include a fairly straightforward, heist-centric narrative. In other words, genre films that have incorporated heists, e.g. Ant-Man and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, were not subject for inclusion. Instead, what follows are the best movies from the past 20 years where a heist (usually gone wrong) is at the direct center of the narrative’s progression. Any one of them would make for a great evening watch, perhaps after checking out Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, now in theaters.

Inside Man (2006)

Denzel Washington has said that he intends to retire sooner rather than later and, should he follow through on that, he will still have left audiences with any number of great performances in equally great films. Spike Lee’s Inside Man is one of them. This hair-raiser tells the tale of Washington’s Detective Keith Frazier, NYPD hostage negotiator. When Clive Owen’s Dalton Russell and his crew take over a Manhattan bank and take hostages, Frazier must race to get them safe and Russell in cuffs.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)

The fact that Sidney Lumet’s final film, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, didn’t receive a single Oscar nomination is nothing short of confounding. 2007 may have been a better-than-average year for movies but no Oscar nominations? Lumet deserved one, screenwriter Kelly Masterson deserved one, and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, and Albert Finney all deserved one for this non-chronological, heartbreaking masterpiece.

Hoffman stars as broker Andy, who is in debt up to his neck. He enlists his brother, Hank (Hawke), to rob a very particular jewelry store: the one owned by their parents. Unfortunately, the robbery doesn’t go as planned, and before long they’re running head-to-head with their grieving and vengeful father (Finney).

The Town (2010)

After Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck’s The Town helped cement the notion that he was a director to watch more than an actor to bash. It also helped Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, and Blake Lively rise up to the A-list. The Town primarily tells the story of Affleck’s Doug MacRay, the leader of a bank robbing team whose best friend James (Renner) is a consistent liability. When James tanks a hostage at their latest robbery (Hall), the once-cold MacRay begins to realize there’s more to life than cash and knowing he could bail at any time.

[RELATED: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Reuniting for New Crime Thriller]

Drive (2011)

Visually stunning, buoyed by a great soundtrack, and sublimely acted, Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive (alongside the Pusher trilogy and Valhalla Rising) announced the director as a major talent to keep one’s eyes on. Unfortunately, his reteaming with lead Ryan Gosling for Only God Forgives was the diametric opposite. But not even that jumbled mess couldn’t take the wind out of this thematically rich crime film.

Gosling stars as “Driver,” a Hollywood stuntman who makes most of his money driving around criminals. Like Jason Statham in The Transporter, he has rules that can’t be broken. But, when he befriends his neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her son, and her husband gets out of prison, he gets roped into a robbery that ends in blood and shotgun shells.

Hell or High Water (2016)

Before he started putting out a new streaming series seemingly every week, Taylor Sheridan turned out a few brilliant films. Between his writing Sicario and both writing and directing Wind River there was perhaps his best film: Hell or High Water.

The story spends time with both a pair of Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) and a pair of sibling robbers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster). Pine’s Toby is a fairly grounded individual, especially when compared to his loose cannon brother, but together they’re quite formidable bank robbers, which is a pseudo-profession they feel has become a necessity now that their family ranch is about to enter foreclosure.

Widows (2018)

It may not be quite on par with director Steve McQueen’s brilliant Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years a Slave, but Widows is nonetheless further testament as to why he may be the most talented auteur working today. It’s much the same for Viola Davis, who leads an ensemble cast with a layered, engrossing performance.

The narrative follows four women whose husbands took part in a robbery gone horribly wrong. Now, they’re being held accountable for their husbands’ failure, and must discreetly lift $5 million from a local respected politician’s house to keep themselves and their kids safe.

Wrath of Man (2021)

Jason Statham always makes for a great lead in a heist film, or, in the case of The Italian Job, a great supporting player. But, to the former point, while The Bank Job is an excellent straightforward British caper, Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man is arguably both the star and the director’s best film to date.

This non-linear actioner follows “H” as he joins a security guard crew. When his first day is ruined by a heist, “H” takes care of the issue with ease. This sets off a series of events that expands on his identity not just for the remainder of his crew, but the audience as well.