The best heist films

Few genres are as satisfying as the heist film. There is the gathering of the crew, the elaborate plan, the moment when everything goes wrong and the scramble to improvise. We find ourselves rooting for professional thieves, admiring their skill and holding our breath as the clock ticks down.

The ten films below span seven decades and several countries. Some are cool and meticulous, some are tense and tragic, and a few are pure fun. Together they show how flexible the formula can be.

Rififi (1955)

Rififi1955 · Film Watchlist

Jules Dassin's French classic follows a recently released safecracker who joins a crew for one last job on a Paris jewellery shop. Its centrepiece is a long break-in sequence played almost entirely without dialogue or music, and it remains a masterclass in suspense. Nearly every heist film since owes something to it. Black-and-white noir fans should start here.

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Le Cercle Rouge1970 · Film Watchlist

Jean-Pierre Melville's crime film brings together a newly released thief, an escaped prisoner and a troubled former police marksman for a daring jewellery robbery. Alain Delon and Yves Montand lead a cast of quiet, fatalistic men who speak in few words. The film is patient, stylish and beautifully composed, with a robbery sequence that matches the precision of its characters. It is for viewers who like their crime cinema cool and contemplative.

The Italian Job (1969)

The Italian Job1969 · Film Watchlist

Michael Caine plays Charlie Croker, a charming crook who plans to steal a shipment of gold in Turin by creating the mother of all traffic jams. Directed by Peter Collinson, the film is cheeky, very British and bursting with period style. Its car chase, featuring three Mini Coopers racing through the city, became legendary. The famous final scene is still debated by fans decades later.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Dog Day Afternoon1975 · Film Watchlist

Sidney Lumet's film is inspired by a real 1972 bank robbery in Brooklyn that went wrong almost from the start. Al Pacino plays Sonny, a nervous robber whose simple plan turns into a hostage standoff and a media circus on a sweltering summer day. It is funny, tense and surprisingly humane. Rather than celebrating a perfect crime, it shows what happens when an amateur plan falls apart.

Heat (1995)

Heat1995 · Film Watchlist