In the long history of heist movies, no other challenge has perhaps been more glorified and attempted than the robbery of a casino. Whilebanks, government buildings, and the hordes of magical beings are common locations for heists, the unique challenge presented by the extra security present in a casino makes it particularly entertaining as a setting for a heist.
A classic movie likeThe Usual Suspects, one of thebest crime movies where the villain wins, relies on the audience’s belief in the impossibility of the premise. Now,The Usual Suspectsachieves something the average heist movie doesn’t – it’s not usually included in the same subgenre – by shifting the source of suspense in the investigation.
While thebest heist moviesare often more traditional, they’re by no means inferior, since the audience is drawn to the impossibility of the heist itself. From the most celebrated heist movies to thebest underrated heist movies, difficulty is often the most entertaining aspect of a heist film. This is why the greatest heist movies often feature casinos.
9The Gambler (2014)
Mark Wahlberg plays Jim Bennett inThe Gambler, who is a literature professor with a gambling addiction. Bored with regular gambling, Bennett’s habit eventually leads him to make the riskiest move of all time. He borrows a huge sum of money from a gangster against his own life as collateral, which is just as bad an idea as it sounds.
While the stakes are high and the casino heist is somewhat engaging, the film struggles to hold the viewer’s attention due to its grating celebration of macho narcissism.Refusing to interrogate the problem in the protagonist’s behaviormakesThe Gamblermuch less interesting than it could have been. John Goodman’s 5-minute cameo is genuinely the best reason to watch it.
8Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Now You See Me 2, and the whole franchise, depending on how memorableNow You See Me 3is, might one day be best remembered for the incredible card-throwing scene. While that’s the best scene in the first two films, and is a heist as well,a less memorable heist occurs a few seconds priorto that scene.
With background music and voiceover narration that explains the horsemen’s moves, the four characters have a unique target for their casino heist – a man’s mind. While the trickery is fluid, behind the flashy editing choices and Jesse Eisenberg’s signature rapid speech, the casino heist is glossed over as unimportant, which summarizesNow You See Me 2and its ending.
73000 Miles To Graceland (2001)
A group of Elvis impersonators tries robbing a casino during International Elvis Week in Las Vegas in3000 Miles to Graceland. Unexpectedly, there’s an Elvis lookalike contest the day of the robbery, which forces them to improvise, creating a hilariously chaotic heist that’s simultaneously exciting. If not for amateurish direction, this would be the best casino heist committed to screen.
Not only is it unfortunate that such a stacked cast working with an Elvis lookalike concept was wasted, but3000 Miles to Graceland, one ofKevin Costner’s 2000s movies, might just feature the actor’s worst performance ever. It’s an artifact of a time gone by, and it does sadly make you grateful that this style of filmmaking has been abandoned.
6The Good Thief (2002)
Another heist film lost in the archives but deserving of much more praise than3000 Miles to Gracelandis Neil Jordan’sThe Good Thief. Nolte playsan aging gambler with a heroin addiction who is looking to score big one last timein his life before going clean. He sets his eyes on the art in a Monte Carlo casino.
The Good Thiefis a remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1956 film,Bob le flambeur.
Nolte is the heart and soul of the film, which also stars Ralph Fiennes in an uncredited role with one of the most memorable malicious lines in heist movie history.The Good Thiefis different from most casino heist films, as it doesn’t feature an insane heist and instead focuses on the planning itself, made memorable by Nolte’s flawed character.
5The Cooler (2003)
Despite not featuring a major theft,The Coolerbelongs among the best heist movies ever made, as it shifts focus to a rather interesting but overlooked element of casino operation – luck.William H. Macy’s Bernie is quite literally a human manifestation of bad luckand uses his abilities to hold back every player from winning big every night.
However, as his love life finally flourishes, Bernie’s impact on the casino starts changing, prompting a fascinating chain of events that explores the role of human relationships and sheer luck on a casino. Even though there’s no literal heist, a conceptual heist occurs in the film due to Bernie’s shifting involvement in the casino’s operation, which affects every gambler present.
4Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
While the 2001 remake ofOcean’s Elevenis arguably the best casino heist movie ever made, the original 1960 film deserves to be remembered for updating the genre at the time. Frank Sinatra stars as the titular Ocean, who brings together his World War 2 friends to try and rob the five biggest casinos in Las Vegas in one night.
WhileOcean’s Eleven(1960) created the blueprint that Soderbergh updated in such superior fashion, it hasn’t aged well by any means.The tasteless use of blackface is a reminder of a darker era in Hollywood. There’s still the nail-biting element in the heists themselves, as the stakes are huge, but it’d have been a better movie with more flair.
3Croupier (1998)
One of thebest inspirational movies about writing,Croupieralmost bites off more than it can chew, trying to balance two stories that deserve to be separate movies. Clive Owen stars as Jack Manfred, a writer plagued by a creative block, who becomes a croupier at a casino to make ends meet, and inevitably gets pulled into the criminal world.
Instead of fleshing out the individual storylines, that is, the casino heist, and the impact of Jack’s involvement on his writing and his personal life,Croupiermostly builds the atmosphere, which, to its credit, is impeccable.Clive Owen’s charismatic screen presence will undoubtedly carry you through the forgettable partsof the movie as well, even in the silliest hats ever.
2Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
When Brad Pitt and George Clooney lead a ragtag team of criminals played by an incredibly stacked cast, the world stops and watches, not once, but thrice, and perhaps four times, sinceGeorge Clooney has teased a potentialOcean’s Fourteenmovie. The quintessential heist movie,Ocean’s Elevenrevolutionized the genre with an impeccably well-balanced, engaging, detailed, stylish and tight story.
You can now streamOcean’s Elevenon Amazon Prime Video.
Each character inOcean’s Elevengets his moment to shine, and the film gives them enough characterization to make them unique, without losing sight of the primary target, aka the heist. Withinsane stakes, unexpected problems, slick performances, nail-biting suspense, and a literal ticking clock,Ocean’s Elevenis a perfect film that serves as a blueprint for heist movies today.
1Bob Le Flambeur (1956)
Jean-Pierre Melville was one of the most influential French filmmakers of all time, and it’s no surprise his casino heist movie has, in hindsight, inspired many of the gems we celebrate today in the heist film genre.Bob le flambeuris more a character study than a heist movie, butit uses a casino heist planning to explore the protagonist’s personality.
Bob Montagne is a well-liked, classy gambler known for his uncanny fortune. However, when his luck turns on him, he has to make a risky gamble to save his neck. The crux of the film lies in the elaborate planning of the heist, while the climax takes a haunting look at the protagonist’s gambling affliction, culminating in a bittersweet ending.
