The 10 best heist movies on Netflix right now
Netflix caters to virtually every genre that’s existed, but it’s trying to find the right thing to watch that seems to take up most of the time.
Every subscriber has found themselves in the unfortunate position of endlessly scrolling looking for the perfect movie at the perfect time, but for anyone who enjoys a hard-boiled crime caper, there are plenty of heist movies worth checking out on the platform.
Whether they’re legacy titles or in-house exclusives, Netflix has an ample selection of titles that scratch almost every itch the heist flick can provide. If it’s a light-hearted romp populated by eccentric characters and memorable dialogue, then look no further than Guy Ritchie’s stellar sophomore effort Snatch.
The British favourite boasts a star-studded ensemble cast, which is something of a recurring theme for the heist movie, especially when so many of the ones available at the push of a button on Netflix are packed to the rafters with big stars, talented actors, and the occasional ‘that guy from that thing’ everybody recognises but can’t quite name off the top of their head.
JC Chandor’s bruising and action-packed Triple Frontier ropes in Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, and Charlie Hunnam for an explosive jaunt behind enemy lines that doesn’t go according to plan, while Edgar Wright’s Academy Award-nominated masterclass Baby Driver places music and movement in perfect synergy to soundtrack each frame with a propulsive double meaning.
Steven Soderbergh’s retirement didn’t go as planned but Logan Lucky is proof enough that cinema was much better off with him than without, while Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive has Ryan Gosling on effortlessly cool and charismatic form in amongst the double-crossing and head-smashing violence.
As far as rosters go, though, when it comes to sheer star wattage it’s hard to look past either John Hillcoat’s Triple 9 and Steve McQueen’s Widows. Both tales of criminality told from very different perspectives, what they lack in subtlety they more than make up for in name value.
The former’s got Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Chiwitel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Kate Winslet, and Gal Gadot, with the latter finding room for Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, and many more besides.
For a heist movie with serious thematic heft, Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods ruminates on the lingering impact of the Vietnam War against the backdrop of a quest for near-mythical treasure, whereas Michael Mann’s period piece Public Enemies focuses on one of the most famous criminal manhunts in American history.
They span decades and cover countless different bases, but the common denominator is that they’re all top of the line heist tales.
The 10 best heist movies on Netflix right now:
- Triple Frontier (JC Chandor, 2019)
- Baby Driver (Edgar Wright, 2017)
- Da 5 Bloods (Spike Lee, 2020)
- Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000)
- Widows (Steve McQueen, 2018)
- Logan Lucky (Steven Soderbergh, 2017)
- Triple 9 (John Hillcoat, 2016)
- Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016)
- Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)
- Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)