19 Movies where we see mind blowing tactics used for heists 

Heist movies are a thrill to watch. With their sharp plot and clever execution, they sure make up for a mind-blowing watch. The way these thieves plan and execute pulling off a heist using sharp tactics and innovative ideas often leaves one awestruck. If you appreciate watching a good plan, here is a list of 19 movies where we see mind-blowing tactics used for heists.

19) Rififi (1955)

The 1955 movie – Rififi has one of the most clever and cinematic heist scenes in the history of cinema. The entire execution of the 30-minute heist scene is done without this group of thieves uttering a single word or making a single sound. They make clever use of plastic sheets and umbrellas to stop any noise and without the use of guns or violence, intelligently and with patience pull off a heist.

18) Ronin (1998)

Ronin is a 1998 movie that combines military precision and deception to make up for a witty heist tactic. Firstly, the crew disguises as fake road workers to create an element of surprise to cease the target, and then they make a stunning vehicle switch to act as a decoy. The entire planning and execution with its high-speed pursuit looks very realistic, adding to the appeal and making the entire battle feel like a psychological game.

17) Hell or High Water (2016)

Hell or High Water is one of the most loved heist movies of 2016. A group of robbers hit small-town banks which have low security but a lot of cash. This is a very smart move as these banks hardly have any tracable cash and they sure make a business out of it. Their clever planning doesn't stop there, as they take the stolen money and exchange it for chips at casinos and then cash out to make this money look legitimate.

16) Logan Lucky (2017)

Logan Lucky starring Daniel Craig is a hilarious heist film about a group of robbers planning to Rob the cash vault of Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race event. This is a very unique idea for a robbery as banks usually have traceable cash, which this race wouldn’t. They make an innovative invention by using the speedway's vacuum tubes to suck out the money and transport it without triggering any alarm.

15) Den of Thieves (2018)

The movie - Den of Thieves, pulls off a clever robbery at the Los Angeles Federal Reserve using a highly strategic military-style operation. Their plan is very clever and smart as they do not target ordinary cash which can be traced back to them, but the main goal is to go for old bills which are to be shredded and removed from circulation in the market. Stealing these bills would be undetectable, so this group disguises itself as money couriers and even plans a decoy heist to throw off the LAPD.

14) Jackie Brown (1997)

The movie Jackie Brown shows the brilliance of a flight attendant who not only outsmarts the cop who wants to make her an informant but also an arms dealer called - Ordell who wants to kill her. She masterfully plays the victim when she is the mastermind and walks away with $500,000. This movie shows how powerful manipulation and deception can be and how mental control is a powerful tool that can be used to ensure a smooth heist.

13) The Town (2010)

The 2010 movie, The Town is about a group of bank robbers, who, as a part of their final heist, plan a robbery at Fenway Park. This group is trained in tactical operations executed with military-style precision. They outsmart authorities by disguising themselves. By dressing up as police officers and using stolen police cars, this group of robbers without being detected manages to steal the cash.

12) Heat (1995)

Starring Robert De Niro, the movie - Heat, shows Neil McCauley and his crew trying to rob the Far East Bank of Los Angeles for $12 million. While ultimately the culprit gets caught and the heist fails, this movie shows how meticulously a heist should be planned. Strict discipline, rules, codes, and coordination are a few of the things these robbers are trained in. The movie shows how just like military officers, robbers also undergo severe training.

11) Point Break (1991)

In the 1991 movie – Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, the group of robbers use a very unconventional and clever way of disguise. They wear rubber masks of none other than former US presidents like – Nixon, Carter, LBJ, and Reagan. They have a smart plan, where they only steal money from cash drawers and do not access the vaults, which helps them get away quickly before the police can catch them.

10) The Italian Job (2003)

The 2003 film – The Italian Job is about a group of high-tech robbers who are experts in gold robbery. They use deception and expert hacking, with a signature style of using mini coopers for their getaway. Their final heist was very tactfully designed, with them blasting the floor of a safe in Venice and letting the gold bars fall into the canal underneath. Then disguised as Scuba divers, they retrieve the gold avoiding detection.

9) Ocean’s Eight (2018)

If we manage to look past the star cast of the movie Ocean's Eight, which consists of – Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter, we might be able to focus on the $150 million and more worth of heist they managed to pull. This all-girls crew successfully infiltrates the Met Gala and steals a Cartier necklace. While the commotion for the lost necklace is going on, they also manage to steal all other necklaces displayed in the gala.

8) Inside Man (2006)

The 2006 film – Inside Man, starring Clive Owens shows a carefully planned bank robbery. This group of robbers takes employees and customers of Manhattan Bank hostage. Their smart plan also includes making the hostages dress exactly like the criminals – making it difficult to differentiate between who is the culprit and who is the criminal. The heist is not just for the money in the bank, but also for a document harboring a dark secret, making this entire movie a perfect example of the usage of mind-blowing tactics.

7) Baby Driver (2017)

Starring Ansel Elgort and Kevin Spacey, the 2017 film – Baby Driver is about a group of daring robbers who use the help of a getaway driver called - Baby. This getaway driver baby is a force behind the wheel and he syncs his escapes to music, evading the police every time. The unique idea behind the heist in this movie is that the weapon is not the gun but the driving skills of Baby which is perfectly choreographed to music.

6) Fast Five (2011)

A part of The Fast and The Furious Franchise, starring Vin Diesel, and Paul Walker, this 2011 film - Fast Five, is about a group of Street Drivers who plan to steal hundreds of millions from a Brazilian Drug Lord. Instead of being subtle about their robbery, this group uses cables and rips the entire vault out of the wall using cables made of steel making the heist a little bit different from the traditional subtle robbery style.

5) Now You See Me (2013)

We have seen robbers disguised as a lot of people, but the film – Now You See Me, features robbers disguised as magicians, who perform stage magic. Starring, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fischer, and Dave Franco, this movie shows how illusion can be so deceptive that a heist can go on in front of you, and you wouldn't even notice. While they give the illusion of teleportation, in reality, they pre-steal the money, pre-record the footage, and then shower it among the audience using air vents.

4) The Usual Suspects (1995)

The film - The Usual Suspects is a 1995 film about - Keyser Söze, a master manipulator who orchestrates skillful robberies. This film shows how corruption is one of the most precious weapons of robbers. Using a group of corrupt NYPD officers, this group smuggles drugs on the back of none other than - police trucks, themselves. They pull off several heists, and eventually in a suicide mission get massacred with one survivor left. With a mindblowing plot twist, this movie is a must-watch if you like mind tricks.

3) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible series has pulled off some pretty high-tech espionage heists. In the 2015 installment of the film called – Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt is trying to break into an ultra-secure vault in London which is under the security of the British government. The vault is underwater and to pull off the heist - Hunt has to hold his breath for over three minutes, combined with some impossible stunts and skills.

2) Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

The movie - Ocean’s 11 is one of the most brilliant portrayals of a carefully orchestrated robbery. The movie features, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and a lot of other famous names. This group is planning to steal millions from three major casinos in Las Vegas. The movie showcases some of the best tactics ever used in criminal movies, involving hacking into the security feed, using the Trojan horse idea, planting fake heist footage to act as a decoy, and then using a double-bluff method to escape.

1) Inception (2010)

The Christopher Nolan-directed and Leonardo DiCaprio starrer - Inception, always finds its name on the top of heist films because of its brilliant and unique idea of stealing secrets from people's dreams. The movie is based on the fact that our subconscious always is the home to our most vulnerable and important thoughts, which when stolen can be even more worthy than money. The way this movie uses illusions and psychological deception to make a person believe the dream is real is phenomenal.