This is the third in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Heist Films. Films About Heists also include Films About Capers, Films About Thieves, Films About Bank Robberies, Films About Armored Car Robberies and Films About Bank Heists. In general, this subgenre covers anything to do with armed robbers or thieves.
This third article will cover the Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen from the 1990’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Heist films over the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 2000 – 2004
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 2005 – 2009
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 2010 – 2014
- Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 2015 – 2019
- Best Recent Heist Films
- Best Heist Films
The Golden Age of Heist Films would begin in the 1990’s and continue through the next three decades. Many classic films of the subgenre emerged during this decade as Caper and Heist films became one of the most popular Crime subgenres. One primary factor in this rise was the “Quentin Tarantino” effect on various crime subgenres including Films About Fugitives and Films About Capers & Heists. Additional themes of the subgenre in the 1990’s included a return to Heist Films with an ensemble cast, more Heist films set during past historical time periods and an influx of “Caper Comedies” which continued to leverage the Comedy genre with Heist themes and elements.
As we noted in our Top Films About Fugitives You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s article, Quentin Tarantino’s brand of witty dialogue, quirky characters and ultraviolence came to dominate films in the Crime genre throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s. After the success of Reservoir Dogs (1992), True Romance (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997) there was a sharp shift in the Heist subgenre with films that were influenced by (and sometimes copied) Tarantino’s unique brand of criminal characters and style. Killing Zoe (1993) was one of the first films that had the Tarantino style by way of Roger Avary (co-writer of Pulp Fiction (1994)). Other Tarantino-style 90’s Heist films included The Real Thing (1996), City of Industry (1997), Dobermann (1997), Face (1997), Dance with the Devil (aka Perdita Durango) (1997), Heaven’s Burning (1997), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Best Laid Plans (1999).
Ensemble Cast Heist Films also returned in the 1990’s with some classic films of the subgenre featuring various top acting talents of the decade. Sneakers (1992) was a Spies and Espionage Heist Film with a cast of Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley and River Phoenix. The Usual Suspects (1995) was about a Heist gone wrong and included Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri and Kevin Pollak. And Heat (1995) would become the Heist film of the decade and entire subgenre with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Tom Sizemore. Other Heist films of the decade with ensemble casts included Hard Eight (1996), Set It Off (1996), Jackie Brown (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), The Newton Boys (1998), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Ronin (1998) and Free Money (1998).
Though Heist Films based on Historical Events or People have always been a dominant theme of the subgenre, in the 1990’s there was a marked contrast between Heist films based on true events and people vs. Heist films set during a specific era. Examples of films based on people or events included Normal Life (1996) and In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory (1997) which were both based on real-life bank robbers Jeffrey and Jill Erickson and The Newton Boys (1998) which was based on the Newton Gang in the early 1900’s. Films with Heist elements set in different eras but not specifically based on a historical event or person included Lovers: A True Story (1991) set in 1950’s Madrid, Spain, A Rage in Harlem (1991) set in 1950’s Harlem, New York, Kansas City (1996) set in 1930’s Kansas City, Missouri and Boogie Nights (1997) set in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California in the late 1970’s.
Caper Comedies also became more prevalent throughout the decade with Comedy films increasingly using situational comedy involving Heists or Capers. Notable film examples included Why Me? (1990), Quick Change (1990), There Goes the Neighborhood (1992), Getting Even with Dad (1994), Airheads (1994), Trapped in Paradise (1994), Bottle Rocket (1996) and Safe Men (1998). These films were all comedies first that often played on film tropes of the Heist film subgenre.
Our complete list of Caper and Heist Films features over 448+ films from 1956 – 2023. This collection features almost every film involving a caper, heist or robbery and films focused on thieves and burglars. If you don’t see a film in our collection, it might not have enough Heist Film elements to be included but is likely in our lists of Films About Con Artists, Films About Financial Fraud or Films About Fugitives which are all closely aligned with the Heist Film subgenre. Also, as we’re always updating our Heist Film collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Heist Films, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
Classic Heist Films from the 1990’s: Quick Change (1990), Point Break (1991), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Sneakers (1992), Red Rock West (1993), Killing Zoe (1993), The Usual Suspects (1995), Heat (1995), Hard Eight (1996), Fargo (1996), Bound (1996), Absolute Power (1997), Jackie Brown (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), Run Lola Run (1998), Out of Sight (1998), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Ronin (1998), A Simple Plan (1988), Payback (1999), Three Kings (1999), Entrapment (1999) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).
Lesser-known Heist Films from the 1990’s that didn’t make our list: Why Me? (1990), Lovers: A True Story (1991), A Rage in Harlem (1991), Delusion (1991), Love is Like That (1992), Juice (1992), Interceptor (1992), There Goes the Neighborhood (1992), The Real McCoy (1993), Supercop 2 (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994), Shopping (1994), Bad Company (1995), A Face to Die For (1996), Blood and Wine (1996), Set It Off (1996), Face (1997), Four Days in September (1997), The Maker (1997), Heaven’s Burning (1997), Deep Rising (1998), Safe Men (1998), Free Money (1998), Two Hands (1999) and In China They Eat Dogs (1999).
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Here is our list of the Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen from the 1990’s:
#10
The Real Thing
Plot: Their plan was simple…Get the Cash. As Rupert, an ex-con, tries to go straight, his younger brother James pursues a life of delinquency. Days after being released from jail, James is gunned down and lies waiting in a hospital for a liver transplant. In a desperate attempt to save his brother’s life, Rupert decides to execute a heist at a downtown club on New Year’s Eve that will give him the money he needs. Rupert assembles an eclectic crew of ex-cons, including his best friend and his ex-girlfriend. Rupert and his gang converge on the nightclub for a climax that spins out of control. New Year’s Eve has never been so explosive!
KBZ’s Take: The Real Thing is one of the 90’s Tarantino-influenced Heist films we mentioned above. However, it doesn’t rely on quirky characters but rather on its excellent cast and an above average Heist sequence.
The film stars James Russo, Jeremy Piven, Esai Morales, Rod Steiger and Gary Busey (though Steiger and Busey are in small supporting roles). Russo and Morales are great in their respective roles and keep you engaged until the third act Heist. Recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/45GqHQr
Plot: Jeff and Jill Erickson are two of the FBI’s most wanted criminals: they carry out daring bank raids, taking money which has been insured by the Federal Government. They are so difficult to catch because they seem like such innocent characters: Jill is a university student while Jeff, an ex-cop and Marine, now runs a small book shop.
KBZ’s Take: There’s an entire In the Line of Duty series of films focused on various true crime stories. We had previously selected In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (1991) as #9 in our Top Films About Fugitives You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s list and we’re going with Blaze of Glory here.
There are two films that have been made about the husband and wife robbers Jeffrey and Jill Erickson – Normal Life (1996) and this film. While both films have their pros and cons, we went Blaze of Glory here due to the performances by Bruce Campbell and Lori Loughlin. They help elevate a standard Heist biopic and provide more depth and motivation to a seemingly normal couple who resort to bank robberies.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3MRh8FA
Plot: Johnnie Cooper served time for an armed robbery that his father and brother also participated in. When he’s released from jail, he’s determined to live a normal life and gets work at a gas station. But soon his brother pays a visit.
KBZ’s Take: Matthew Modine was involved in two 1990’s Heist films – One Last Score (aka If… Dog… Rabbit) and The Maker (1997). While both films are worth checking out, we went with One Last Score here given it’s more focused on an elaborate and unique Heist.
Modine wrote, directed and stars in the film along with John Hurt, Kevin J. O’Connor, Bruce Dern, David Keith and Lisa Marie. Though the first two acts of the film fall victim to various Heist film tropes, it’s saved by a great third act and Heist sequence.
This isn’t an action-packed film by any means and is much more of a character study about a family of criminals, but it’s a lesser-known film subgenre fans will enjoy.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WQIyjt
#7
The Hot Spot
Plot: A loner moves into a small Texas town, finds himself a job, and sets about plotting to rob the local bank.
KBZ’s Take: One of the better Neo Noir Heist films on our list, the film would have been closer to a subgenre classic if it was about 20-30 minutes shorter. Clocking in at a full 130 minutes, the film spends quite a bit of time before and after the Heist fleshing out its characters in a heat-soaked rural Texas town.
The film is directed by actor Dennis Hopper and he does a great job with the character of Harry Madox (Don Johnson) who is the new drifter in town casing the local bank for a robbery. There are some great sequences here with the casing and eventual heist. And while Johnson gives one of his better film performances in The Hot Spot, Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Connelly are the real stars as the opposing love interests of Johnson.
We would only recommend this film for fans of the subgenre who like Neo Noir films. There is a great Heist sequence in the middle of the film, but it’s much more about the characters and their motivations in small-town America.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://tubitv.com/movies/312180/the-hot-spot
Plot: Rich, successful Bryce meets beautiful Lissa at a bar one night and invites her back to his house, not suspecting for a moment that Lissa isn’t really who she seems. What unfolds next is a dangerous, tangled web of double-crosses and seduction.
KBZ’s Take: Another Tarantino-influenced Heist film that utilizes time-shifting elements via flashbacks with a robbery gone wrong. However, the flashback in this instance works to great effect to detail the plan for the robbery before everything goes off the rails.
The film is centered around three individuals – Nick (Alessandro Nivola), Bryce (Josh Brolin) and Lissa (Reese Witherspoon). Nivola and Brolin are fine in their roles as ex-college buddies who have ended up in different financial situations. But it’s Witherspoon who excels in the film as the woman who agrees to do the unthinkable for love.
This is another film on our list that isn’t action-packed but filled with twists and turns in an engrossing Heist thriller.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3NbFI5i
#5
Phoenix
Plot Gambling fever – along with a brutal bookie – leads three crooked cops into a double-dealing scheme that lands them in hot water way over their heads.
KBZ’s Take: After breaking out in Goodfellas (1990), Ray Liotta tended to follow the Nicolas Cage acting path by starring in a few clunkers followed by an occasional great film. This is one of Liotta’s great films and is a severely underrated gem of the subgenre.
Liotta is amazing in this film as a cop with a gambling addiction and is surrounded by a great cast including Anthony LaPaglia, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven, Giancarlo Esposito and Tom Noonan. Though the film features a heist, it’s also focused on the character flaws and corruption of Liotta and his law enforcement partners. It’s the characters in the film that keep you engaged up to the explosive heist and eventual fallout.
If you love Heist films, this should be one film you shouldn’t miss as it’s a near classic film of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/43km9xw
#4
Dobermann
Plot: The charismatic criminal Dobermann, who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers. After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they are being hunted by the Paris police. The hunt is led by the sadistic cop Christini, who only has one goal: to catch Dobermann at any cost.
KBZ’s Take: If you combined Quentin Tarantino with Luc Besson you might get something like Dobermann. This French Heist film is filled with crazy characters, thrilling heist sequences and violence – lots of violence.
You’ll notice the Tarantino influence on the film from the opening scene involving a newborn that ends up with a gun. That is followed by an even crazier sequence of an armored truck robbery by Dobermann (Vincent Cassel) and his deaf girlfriend Nathalie (Monica Bellucci). You should know within the first 15 minutes of this film if it’s your type of film or not. And a mini-spoiler – it gets even crazier after the opening 15 minutes.
Dobermann is action-packed with a ton of cartoonish violence and one of the crazier, must-see films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/43lud0P
Plot: In the 1970s, teen Bobbie (Vincent Kartheiser) supports his drug habit and his girlfriend, Rosie (Natasha Gregson Wagner), with petty crime. When one such job gets ugly, Bobbie looks to seasoned local crook Mel (James Woods) for guidance. Mel, a junkie himself, takes a shine to him, and Bobbie, Rosie, Mel and his lover, Sid (Melanie Griffith), begin pulling heists together. But, thanks to a bit of success and an abundance of narcotics, they get into debt — and mixed up in murder.
KBZ’s Take: This is a forgotten film of the 1990’s and underrated gem of the subgenre. Though it stars James Woods, it’s one of his lesser-known films and also stars Melanie Griffith, Vincent Kartheiser and Natasha Gregson.
The heist aspects of the film are secondary to the drug addiction of the foursome. The kindred spirits perform heists to fuel their addiction. In a way, the film is similar to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) which was also about junkies turning to robbery for their addiction.
But where this film excels is with the surrogate parental relationship between Woods and Kartheiser. It’s a dysfunctional relationship that eventually leads to tragedy. Highly recommended film for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OTOrum
Plot: A retired thief swears revenge on the lunatic who murdered his brother and partner, while going on the run with the loot they stole.
KBZ’s Take: Though there are some typical Tarantino-influences in the film (the psychotic crew member (Stephen Dorff), the heist planning sequences, etc.), City of Industry establishes itself as a great mashup of Neo Noir, Revenge Films and Heist Films.
This is Harvey Keitel’s film as the criminal betrayed, on the run and leading to a path of vengeance. The heist portions of the film are well executed and fall within the first act. Everything after that is Keitel’s singular focus for revenge. This is one of Keitel’s better films and also features some excellent performances from Timothy Hutton and Dorff (as the eventual target of Keitel’s vengeance).
City of Industry is somewhat of a forgotten film of the 1990’s but it’s one of the better heist films of the decade that shouldn’t be missed.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3MUSIeC
#1
Killing Zoe
Plot: American vault cracker travels to Paris to meet his friend for a bank robbery on Bastille Day.
KBZ’s Take: We had Killing Zoe #1 on our Top Caper & Heist Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) article and to be consistent, we listed it here as well. Our original thoughts on the film are below and we’ll reiterate that this is a must-see film of the subgenre.
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.
Additional Lists: Top Caper & Heist Films You Haven’t Seen (Part 1) #1
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Uqt5nm
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