10 Best Heist Movies of the Last 5 Years, Ranked

Everyone loves a good heist movie. These reliable flicks always (mostly) provide a thrilling and entertaining ride for audiences to enjoy, thanks to the inherent tension built from being constantly pursued and wondering if this team of thieves will be able to pull off such a big job. Plus, wondering how the plan will go wrong and whether they can maneuver around it to accomplish their goal provides additional anticipation.

Whether it be a small rag-tag team that has little to no resources or a large group of experts who have a deep and detailed plan, there is so much to love within a good ole heist plot. While they may not gain as much attention in the modern day as, say, superhero films, the heist genre is still around and getting a lot of content in recent years. These are the best heist movies released in the past five years, ranked by how memorable they are, how they fit into the genre, and their overall quality.

10 ‘Triple Frontier’ (2019)

Directed by J.C. Chandor

With a cast featuring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal, Triple Frontier could guarantee, at the very least, a good cast experience. When former Special Forces members come together once more, they finally fight for something other than their country: themselves. They attempt to do so by executing a heist in a multi-bordered zone in South America where a drug lord holds a big lump of dirty money.

But as every heist does, things don’t go to plan and when their journey takes a turn for the worse, their skills are put to the ultimate test. While general audiences were neither here nor there about the film, critics were much more receptive. The plot is filled with curveballs, and the performances are compelling enough to sell the plot. While the characters can feel a bit shallow at times, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives, making Triple Frontier among the most underrated action movies.

9 ‘The Burnt Orange Heresy’ (2020)

Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi

When acclaimed art critic James Figueras (Claes Bang) is asked to steal a masterpiece from a world-renowned artist, an incredible thriller plot ensues. The story brings four astounding performances from its leads: Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Mick Jagger and the late Donald Sutherland. The film is certainly a slow-burn, which means those used to fast-paced action heists will have a bit of an adjustment period with this one.

Alas, if audiences can get past the slower pace, they’ll find an engaging melodrama that is quite only compelling and further propped up by the actors performing it. The Burnt Orange Heresy is in no way a perfect film, but those looking for a mix-up to the heist genre will find some great entertainment in this one, making it worth a watch.

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8 ‘Marmalade’ (2024)

Directed by Keir O’Donnell

One of the most underrated heist movies in recent memory, Marmalade found most of its attention thanks to the inclusion of Stranger Things star Joe Keery. But, to only acknowledge it for him would be doing this remarkable movie a disservice. Combining the heist genre with romance, Marmalade brings emotions from multiple ends of the spectrum.

The film follows a recently incarcerated man (Keery) who strikes a friendship with his new cellmate (Aldis Hodge). While trying to escape from prison, he recounts the tale of how he and his great love came up with a plan to rob a bank. Surprisingly, this wonderful film is actually the directorial debut of Keir O’Donnell. While it’s not perfect, O’Donnell did a phenomenal job for his first big theatrical film as a director.

7 ‘Army of the Dead’ (2021)

Directed by Zack Snyder

While director Zack Snyder received a lot of flak for his work in the DC Extended Universe, he brought a great heist film to Netflix in 2021. With a wonderful cast that includes Dave Bautista and Ella Purnell, the performances, for the most part, are truly great. While the storyline might be pretty standard for a typical heist movie, the electrifying characters and visuals more than carry the film.

The visuals, in particular, are wonderful, in classic Zack Snyder fashion; if there’s one thing that the ex-DC director can do, it’s craft engaging and electric imagery that captivates audiences. Indeed, the cinematography and visual directing are the best parts of his DC films, and they’re even better in Army of the Dead. People typically either love or hate Snyder’s projects, and thankfully for him and Netflix, Army of the Dead is generally praised.

6 ‘Wrath of Man’ (2021)

Directed by Guy Ritchie

One of the most famous action movie stars is none other than Jason Statham. When the English actor is appearing in a movie, audiences can rest easy knowing they’ll at least get some awesome action out of it, as Statham is dedicated to bringing great fights to the screen (and very good at it). He brought his iconic and badass persona to the heist genre in 2021 with Wrath of Man.

As it happens with most of Guy Ritchie‘s projects, Wrath of Man also happens to be a gangster film of sorts. During a heist, Statham’s character, H, unleashes skills his crewmates didn’t know he had. Suddenly, this brings secrets to life and H’s true intentions within the mission begin to be revealed. The script is a tad predictable, but it’s made far better by the great performance brought by Statham and the spectacular, non-stop action perfectly staged by Ritchie.

5 ‘No Sudden Move’ (2021)

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring Don Cheadle and directed by Steven Soderbergh, No Sudden Move found a plethora of love from critics. This film’s setting instantly separates it from other heist films, and the stellar production design makes the best out of it. Set in 1954’s Detroit, a group of small-time crooks get hired for a job that goes absurdly wrong. They set out to find who hired them for the ridiculous job, traversing through the wild city around them.

Steven Soderbergh is a master of crime plots and knows how to execute them almost perfectly. While No Sudden Move isn’t the perfect crime or heist film, it is one of the legendary director’s best works in quite a while. Still, as it happens with many of his movies, the cast does a great job and elevates the often stale plot, with Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm and Amy Seimetz doing some incredible work.

4 ‘Blood & Gold’ (2023)

Directed by Peter Thorwarth

Many note similarities between this film and Quentin Tarantino‘s Oscar-winning war movie Inglourious Basterds, and that’s more than just a compliment. This German movie brings a certain chaos and absolute explosiveness that makes its entertainment undeniable. One of the things Blood & Gold really has going for it, though, is its setting: Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.

The protagonist, a German deserter, searches for his daughter while facing off against Nazis looking for hidden gold. As their paths cross, some astounding action is brought forth. Heist films can often feel pretty repetitive, but Blood & Gold breaks the curse with a location that is pretty new to the genre and a plot that adds a raw, real-life layer, making it a unique experience for any major heist film fan.

3 ‘1992’ (2024)

Directed by Ariel Vromen

Another movie that brings a new setting to the genre is 1992. As Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) attempts to fix his strained connection with his son, Lowell (Ray Liotta) and his son, Riggin (Scott Eastwood), aim to steal catalytic converters from the factory Mercer happens to work at. When the plots find themselves at a crossing, things get intense. As if things couldn’t get worse in the setting in Los Angeles.

Set in the titular year during the LA Riots following the verdict surrounding Rodney King, 1992 also connects to the modern day with the protagonist’s plan: stealing catalytic converters. The theft of essential car parts is a big problem in the modern day, with people having them stolen from their vehicles consistently. 1992 has interesting ideas, and while its reach far exceeds its grasp, it remains an engaging and worthwhile heist movie that more people should experience.

2 ‘Ambulance’ (2022)

Directed by Michael Bay

Notorious for his work in the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay returned to the big screens in 2022 with the heist thriller Ambulance. Hoping to find money to pay for his wife’s medical bills, Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen) and his adoptive brother, Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), attempt to pull off a heist for $32 million. Things go very awry when they hijack an ambulance containing a wounded police officer and a young EMT (Eiza González) who becomes their unwitting hostage.

It’s safe to say that Bay doesn’t have the greatest reputation with audiences, so when Ambulance turned out to be a great time, everyone was pleasantly shocked. The film is tense, action-packed, explosive, and entertaining the whole way through. Indeed, Ambulance is a much-welcome return to form for Bay, who walks away from elaborate sci-fi spectacles and goes back to basics, delivering a classic thriller that brings out the best from him and his well-assembled cast.

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1 ‘Kajillionaire’ (2020)

Directed by Miranda July

After being trained for 26 years by her parents to be a master con artist and thief, Old Dolio Dyne (Evan Rachel Wood) has her life turned upside down when her folks bring Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) into the fold. As their next big heist and relationship with the newbie develops, everything goes awry, and the family’s connection becomes split.

Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez’s performances perfectly contrast each other and make for a great dynamic that masterfully adds to the tension in the many character relationships in the film. Director Miranda July does a great job at bringing tension to the heist plot but keeping the attention of the human drama, making the characters the most compelling part of the story. Although severely underrated, Kajillionaire is both purely engaging and often thought-provoking, subversive, and wholly original. One could consider this terrific heist movie almost perfect.

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