The year 2000 marked the second and final time that two of the biggest screen icons in cinema history shared the same screen. We’re, of course, talking about the hit action drama The Score, starring Robert De Niro and the late Marlon Brando. Movie fans first met these two screen legends in The Godfather Part 2. Besides the pair meeting, fans of The Score remember the cliff-hanging ending. Still on the edge of our seats, these ten heist films follow in the inglorious footsteps of The Score.
“Catch Me If You Can” (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale Jr. Frank is pulling off one multi-million con after another and is not even 19 years old. Tom Hanks plays FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, who is determined to capture Frank. Throughout the film, you see the near hits and misses between Agent Hanratty and Frank pulling off the capers.
“The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968)
The original The Thomas Crown Affair stars the late Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. Steve McQueen stars as Thomas Crown, an eccentrically wealthy businessman who plans and robs his own businesses. Faye Dunaway, an insurance agent, is sent to stop Thomas Crown but winds up falling in love with him.
“The Italian Job” (1969)
The original Italian Job film was released in 1969 and starred Michael Caine and Benny Hill. Michael Caine stars as Charlie Croker, a British mastermind determined to rob gold worth a king’s ransom in Turin, Italy. Besides Michael Caine, the Mini Cooper used throughout the film stole the show.
“Heat” (1995)
Michael Mann directs this explosive and violent mid-90s action crime caper. Robert De Niro leads an experienced crime caper team. Al Pacino stars as the detective determined to end his reign. In Heat, Al Pacino and long-time friend Robert De Niro share the screen for the first time since The Godfather trilogy, leaving bullets and bodies in their wake.
“The Usual Suspects” (1995)
Bryan Singer is the director behind one of the biggest films of the 1990s and one of the most controversial ones. Kevin Spacey stars and is part of a group of dangerous criminals who don’t know each other but have been hired to commit a crime. Besides the captivating heist sequences, The Usual Suspects is legendary for its ending reveal.
“Ocean’s Eleven” (2001)
The first of a trilogy, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a remake of the classic Ocean’s Eleven film from the 1960s. The 2001 version features George Clooney as Danny Ocean, the head of an elite heist team that also stars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Bernie Mac. There are plenty of laughs and comradery as they rob the biggest casinos in the world. Ocean’s Eleven was such a monster success that it spawned two more sequels that were also wildly successful at the box office.
“Inside Man” (2006)
Spike Lee takes the directorial helm as he once again reunites with Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington in this modern-day crime caper. Clive Owen stars as Dalton Russell, a sophisticated criminal determined to rob one of New York’s biggest banks. In a brazen attempt, Russell holds the bank employees hostage inside the bank.
Denzel Washington stars as Detective Keith Frazier, who becomes obsessed with taking down Russell. Between the obsession and the climate ending, we learn Dalton’s true motivations for robbing the bank.
“The Town” (2010)
Ben Affleck stars behind and in front of the director’s chair with The Town. He is part of a group of hardened bank robbers in Boston. Throughout the film, we witness Ben and his crew pulling off several bank robbery jobs in the Boston metro. However, Ben Affleck, starring as Doug, begins to have a change of mind after a bloody and violent robbery.
As Doug reassesses things, he acknowledges his feelings for one of the women he held hostage during a bank robbery. As Doug trains to walk away from his criminal past, his former colleagues aren’t ready for him to walk into the sunset. Doug reluctantly agrees to do one more final job as the pressure and tension mount.
“Inception” (2010)
Inception is an unusual heist film directed by Christopher Nolan of the Dark Knight trilogy. Inception combines science fiction with the traditional heist genre. Instead of a group of elite criminals directly playing out the crime, they invade the minds of their victims and plant ideas to get them to do the job for them.
“Now You See Me” (2013)
Louis Leterrier is the director behind Now You See Me, which takes a new spin on bank robbery—illusions. Breaking all the rules of the traditional crime caper, Now You See Me introduces magic and illusions into the schemes. Besides the magic, Now You See Me features plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.