Possibly the most popular Crime subgenre, Caper & Heist Films have been around since the dawn of celluloid cinema. This subgenre often focuses on intricate bank robberies but can also involve lower level schemes where the plan (often shown in advance to the audience) has to work precisely in order to be pulled off. Most films also show the post-Heist chaos when things inevitably go wrong.
Caper & Heist Films have even been popular in other genres with quite a few comedic capers including Quick Change (1990), Lucky Numbers (2000) and Bad Santa (2003). War genre films have also featured the heist subgenre with The Train (1964), Kelly’s Heroes (1970), and Three Kings (1999). Even animals have been used to perform heists in The Doberman Gang (1972) and The Daring Dobermans (1973).
Our entire Caper & Heist Films List includes over 360+ movies so there are going to be quite a few of these films you might not have seen. For now, we’re going to include 10 Caper & Heist Films You Haven’t Seen but this will only be Part 1. We will likely have 2 or 3 additional lists including an overall Top 10 list of all the films in the subgenre.
In addition, our list includes many types of Caper & Heists including Films About Bank Robberies, Films About Bank Heists, Films About Armored Car Heists, Films About Thieves, Films About Armed Robbery and basically any type of film that involves a caper or heist.
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Caper & Heist Films You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Plot: Two brothers plot the robbery of their parents’ jewelry store.
KBZ’s Take: Not an action-packed heist film by any means, this character-driven film shows the after effects of an inside job heist on a family business. Philip Seymour Hoffman carries the film as the debt-ridden broker who has no qualms about destroying the fabric of his family.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OWkyHL
#9
The Hot Rock
Plot: Thieves plan heist of a diamond from a museum.
KBZ’s Take: Light hearted caper similar in vein to Ocean’s 11 (2001), this Robert Redford and George Segal led film features a great mix of action, comedy and suspense. Like most caper films, there’s the planning stage and the execution stage where something inevitably goes wrong. Where this film excels is with the multiple execution stages as the crew needs to steal the diamond multiple times.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EWQVkV
Plot: WW II American soldiers plan to rob a bank behind German enemy lines.
KBZ’s Take: If the plot of Kelly’s Heroes sounds familiar, you might have seen a similar plot in Three Kings (1999). While the plot of the films might be similar, they are vastly different films with respect to story, characters and overall execution. Kelly’s Heroes is still a war film and has some exciting action and suspense scenes while the group led by Clint Eastwood tries to get behind enemy lines. Unique to this film is the 1970’s ‘anti-war’ theme prevalent throughout the film – especially with the “always seems stoned” character Oddball (Donald Sutherland).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H88j98
#7
Thief
Plot: Freelance safecracker wanting to retire from the business signs up for one last score with a gangster.
KBZ’s Take: This Michael Mann film has inspired many other caper and heist films including Mann’s own Heat (1995) and the Ryan Gosling-led Drive (2011). This film shows the life of a ‘freelance’ thief who has to rely on even shadier criminals in order to get paid. Life isn’t easy when you can’t complain to HR about funds being withheld. Notable highlight includes an almost 5-minute safecracking scene with a specialized blow torch.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Ur84sW
#6
Marauders
Plot: An elite group of bank robbers seem to be robbing banks for something other than money.
KBZ’s Take: Not a film to have playing in the background, this film requires your attention to understand the multiple sub-plots interweaved throughout the story. Great action-packed heist scenes with the law and order roles filled by Christopher Meloni, David Bautista and Adrian Grenier. Bruce Willis also stars as the bank manager whose banks are being robbed, but he has minimal screen time in the film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XNvsnf
Plot: Local TV weatherman plots to rig the state lottery.
KBZ’s Take: This film definitely resides in the “love it or hate it” realm due to the dark comedic nature of its plot. As a pure heist film, it excels at showing the planning and execution phases of the heist. Where it turns a corner into darker Fargo-esque territory is after everything that can possibly go wrong, does goes wrong after the heist. Even if you’re not into dark comedy heist films, this film is worth watching if only for Bill Pullman’s detective who has an aversion to doing any actual police work.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VFTJtC
Plot: A paraplegic discovers criminals living next door are planning a bank robbery.
KBZ’s Take: This Argentina & Spain co-production is one of the best caper and heist films to come out in the last 10 years. This film takes a twist on the usual caper and heist tropes with our main character planning and executing his own heist during the actual heist. To say anymore will ruin the film but it’s filled with suspense and an ending that you won’t see coming.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EWY7xs
#3
Bad Genius
Plot: Brilliant student starts an exam cheating business.
KBZ’s Take: This film from Thailand absolutely rocks! Excellent screenplay and exhilarating direction that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens to the main characters. This film is similar in style and substance to the “students training to scam Las Vegas” film 21 (2008), so if you enjoyed that film, you’ll like this one even more.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B2dx2C
#2
Wrath of Man
Plot: A new security guard is more than he seems while defending a heist.
KBZ’s Take: Heat (1995) is generally regarded as the best heist film of all time. Over the years, many films have tried (and failed) to be recognized on the same level as Heat. That is until Wrath of Man was released. This Guy Ritchie Heist film didn’t get the promotion and awareness it might normally have due to its release during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, like Heat, this film has a defining heist execution that’s on par with the best Heist action scenes of all time.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B4oQXY
#1
Killing Zoe
Plot: American vault cracker travels to Paris to meet his friend for a bank robbery on Bastille Day.
KBZ’s Take: Ok, we know your first thought might be, “Killing Zoe is actually quite popular and is a classic!” And we agree that it is a classic – for most people over the age of 40. Younger generations might miss this classic when they go down the Tarantino rabbit hole of films. Though Tarantino was only an Executive Producer on the film, it’s a Roger Avary scripted and directed film that feels like Tarantino throughout. And it should since Roger Avary was involved with both Pulp Fiction (1994) and True Romance (1993). If you’re in that Gen Y or Gen Z demographic, add this film to the top of your queue and you can thank us later.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Uqt5nm
