My first caper was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Admittedly I saw it because my aunt liked Newman and Redford, but it remains a nostalgic favourite. It was fun, smart, funny, and it had a Scott Joplin filled score!
Of the crime genres available on streaming platforms, I’ve trained the algorithms to offer up heists of different flavours — thrillers, action, romance, revenge, and comedy
While most don’t capture my heart the same way Butch did, here are twelve reasons why they still appeal to me:
- Dopamine!
- Clearly defined group rules
- Pattern recognition
- Camaraderie between “bad guys”
- Skill (or goal) based loyalty
- Rewarded for thinking outside the box
- Ability to think and act under pressure
- Outsmarting the establishment
- Car chases — dekes, crashes, and explosions
- Cool songs and soundscapes
- Building and relieving tension across each task and between relationships
- Consequences sometimes winning, sometimes losing
I’ve watched over 80 heist films and shows over the last year, across action, thriller, and comedy — some so you don’t have to!
Four heist programs to check out:
Duchess — a revenge tale after a diamond deal gone wrong (Tubi)
Flipping some of the misogynistic tropes and expectations of the crime genre with a satisfying conclusion
Edge of Tomorrow — Tom Cruise gets repeatedly decimated (Crave)
A satisfying transformation action movie. Imagine savepoints in real life!
Money Heist — Flip the script on who controls the Spanish mint (Netflix)
A show where brilliance and trust shine, and institutional powers favour fool’s gold
The Matrix — resurrecting martial artist Jesus (Crave)
Twenty five years later, there are movies still copying the bullet time cinematic style of The Matrix
Come learn how to create improvised heist stories, in January, at Wayward Improvised Theatre
Comment here with a heist show you enjoyed and let’s deep dive together
The Velvet Duke 