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Popcorn has been popped, sweatpants are on, and the evening is yours. But what are you going to watch? Here’s an idea: heist movies. There’s nothing better than a heist movie to help you get your mind off things. What makes the perfect heist movie? Ambitious theft and wild plot twists. And let’s not forget about the escape. The harder it is to pull off, the more entertaining it is. Just about everyone loves a good heist movie. The genre is as old as cinema itself. Heist movies are fun, unpredictable, clever, thrilling, and insane.
There’s something about heist movies that gets your blood pumping. From the exquisite schemes to the shady characters, there’s always something going on that you can’t wait to see. In the following productions, the plot revolves around the robbery. Our choices span across several decades, going from action to comedy. What connects them all is the primal instinct of landing the big score, without further ado, these are the best heist movies in British cinema.
Sit at home with your laptop and a cup of hot cocoa. Add some colour and variety to your usual television diet. You can stream these movies on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more. The list isn’t long, but FOMO is eternal. Put on one of these movies and enjoy the peace and comfort of your home. Your place is the perfect cinema.
1. King of Thieves
The film, which is based on the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015, features Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, and Michael Gambon, just to name a few. The original burglary took place during a time when the Easter bank Holiday and Passover clashed. The incident is referred to as the “largest burglary in English legal history”. The total stolen value amounts to roughly £200 million. Leading the team of senior citizens, Sir Michael Kane, who embodies Brian Reader, pulls off an impressive jewellery heist in London.
There’s a lot of robbery expertise in the movie. Brian Reader and his crew use old-school techniques to plan the heist. The advanced ages of the actors make them unlikely suspects. Just like the real-life thieves they portray. King of Thieves makes the audience laugh. The aging men discuss health problems such as diabetes and arthritis while drilling holes into vaults and disabling alarms.
Everything is meticulously planned and the plan is well-executed, except for one tiny detail. The crooks are completely ignorant about CCTV cameras, which make it nearly impossible to break in without getting noticed, the Internet, and modern investigation methods. The tale immediately becomes one of green and deception. After the police are called to the scene and the investigation begins, the weak ties between the gang members begin to show as they argue about what the best way is to share the goods. The crooks become suspicious of one another.
2. Heist
The Heist tells the story of a bunch of crooks who want to take their revenge on Edward I. In 1303, the innkeeper and aspiring wool merchant Dick Puddlecote, is arrested and sentenced to prison in Flanders, after travelling there from England to trade wool. While the English did produce wool, very little of it was sold abroad. Before he could get his hands on the money, Dick was seized and punished by Edward I for failing to pay back a debt.
After having been released from prison, he comes back to England, only to find that the monarch has taken over his inn and his significant other has been forced into prostitution. Our victim doesn’t go down easy. More exactly, Dick swears to take revenge on the King and convinces his friends to help him break into the treasury, beneath Westminster Abbey.
There’s nothing new about adding a dose of comedy to a heist, but the heist comedy is a vast and beloved subgenre. If you want to be entertained, Heist is a good movie to watch. The cast features Kris Marshall, Geraldine James, Donald Sumpter, Paul Hilton, and more. It might not be the best film of all time, but it keeps you laughing. At times, movies are funny in an attempt to be funny. They make you feel like an expert critic.
3. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
The film was directed by Ralph Thomas, written by Guy Elmes. Career criminal Pinky (Richard Jordan) is an American who finds himself in a British jail. He is later on released from prison and decides to live a crime-free life. The only problem is that he accepts a job at a large bank, as a maintenance man, which draws unwanted attention. Although Pinkie wants to go straight, a local criminal – Ivan the Terrible – blackmails Pinky into helping him rob the bank.
The movie is the final work of former prolific English director Ralph Thomas, who is best known for “Doctor in the House” and “Doctor in Trouble”. If there’s something wrong with the movie, besides the fact that the title doesn’t accurately reflect the plot, is that the narrative is rather dull. It takes some time until the film gets around to the robbery. It’s more about the exploit of the individual, rather than living by the edge. You’ll enjoy seeing the various old shops in London.
The story is played out until the end, actually far beyond what you’d normally see. It’s a pleasing but predictable heist. Davin Nilen, who gives life to Ivan, provides one of his best performances. Ivan is essentially a criminal mastermind who has succeeded in living out of bank robbery. He isn’t happy with owning a legitimate business. Even if Pinky doesn’t agree with his plan, it seems that there’s no way out for our hero.
All in all, it’s always fun to catch up on heist movies. If you want to double the fun, invite your friends over. When you come across badass action, pause it, talk about it, and rewind it again. The strict days of social distancing aren’t behind us, but that doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself from society.