Top 20 Heist Films

In this gritty true-to-life heist film a man attempts to rob a bank in order to pay for his lover's operation. But of course everything goes awry and the job turns into hostage situation as well as an all-out media circus. With top-notch acting from Pacino, this is one of the more thoughtful heist films.

Bill Murray brings a dose of hilarity to the typical heist gone wrong formula. This movie is one clever twist after another, starting from the moment that the robbers make their escape from the bank. Thinking they are in the clear, they are shocked at all of the obstacles that get in their way on what should be a simple drive to the airport.

Even if you don't like typical heist films, this movie is worth a viewing if only for the amazing performance by Ben Kingsley. Kingsley plays Don Logan, a brutal gangster who recruits a supposedly retired safecracker for one last job, but who would've guessed it, it winds up going badly for both of them.

Taking place among the neon lights of Las Vegas, this heist film is packed with celebrities and is a joy to watch. Recently out of prison, Danny Ocean unleashes his plan to break into the vault at the Bellagio.

In this Stanley Kubrick film, five men plot to steal two million dollars from a racetrack, but things go awry when one of the men tells his wife about the plan. The suspense builds as we wonder if she'll rat them out or want a cut of the action for herself. Probably the most incredible shot of the film is in the end where we see the robbers' suitcase fall onto the tarmac on the way to the airplane, and a nearby airplane propeller blows the money all over the runway.

What? It's a heist film.