As is the case with most movies that surprise me, I went into the Den of Thieves duology with low expectations. Based on what little I knew, they looked like a grittier version of The Fast & the Furious.
But reviews described them as heist movies, so I finally decided to try the first movie. It was solid, but it had long, overly-violent sequences, and it was unabashedly misogynistic. It’s difficult to watch at times, and its only saving grace was the 45-minute heist itself, which was perfectly portrayed.
So I gave the sequel a chance, and I’m glad I did, because it almost entirely removes everything that didn’t work in the first film and only focuses on what does work: From start to (almost) finish, it’s a heist movie. The setup, the planning, the scheming, the teambuilding, the heist, and the consequences–all the heist ingredients, executed almost perfectly.
If you’re looking for a really solid heist movie, I recommend skipping right to Pantera. It’s on Netflix now.
Have you watched any great heist films or shows recently?