The best heist movies of all time
The top 3 according to 1,971 votes from people: Heat · Rififi · Ocean's Eleven. (Updated Oct 31, 2025.)
Bank jobs, casino robberies and capers gone wrong: the heist films that top rankings by CrimeReads, Ranker's fan vote and film magazines.
Top 12
-
1
Heat
Michael Mann, 1995. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, cop and thief, and the downtown LA shoot-out; top of fan rankings.
-
2
Rififi
Jules Dassin, 1955. A 30-minute silent robbery sequence that defined the genre.
-
3
Ocean's Eleven
Steven Soderbergh, 2001. Clooney, Pitt and Damon rob three Las Vegas casinos at once.
-
4
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino, 1992. The aftermath of a jewel heist gone wrong.
-
5
The Killing
Stanley Kubrick, 1956. A racetrack robbery told out of order; it influenced Ocean's Eleven and The Dark Knight.
-
6
Dog Day Afternoon
Sidney Lumet, 1975. Al Pacino's bank robbery turns into a media circus; based on a true story.
-
7
The Italian Job
Peter Collinson, 1969. Michael Caine, three Minis and a cliffhanger ending.
-
8
The Usual Suspects
Bryan Singer, 1995. Five criminals and Keyser Söze; one of cinema's great twists.
-
9
Inside Man
Spike Lee, 2006. Denzel Washington and Clive Owen in a 'perfect' bank robbery.
-
10
The Town
Ben Affleck, 2010. Bank robbers from Boston's Charlestown.
-
11
Hell or High Water
David Mackenzie, 2016. Two brothers rob branches of the bank that is foreclosing on their ranch.
-
12
Le Cercle Rouge
Jean-Pierre Melville, 1970. Alain Delon and a silent jewel heist on Place Vendôme.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 12… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
-
13
Thief
Michael Mann's 1981 debut feature with James Caan as a professional safecracker.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (20)
Great list but no Point Break? 🏄
Heat at #1, the downtown LA shootout is the best action scene ever filmed.
Dog Day Afternoon, Pacino yelling 'Attica!'
The Usual Suspects twist still holds up.
Inside Man is so underrated, Denzel and Clive Owen
Hell or High Water is a modern western heist, so good.
Le Cercle Rouge is the coolest movie ever made
The Town, Ben Affleck can direct
Michael Mann has two movies here then, legend.
Rififi's silent 30-minute heist sequence, a masterclass.
The original Italian Job with Michael Caine, 'You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!'
This list is great, adding Rififi to my watchlist
Missing Thief by Michael Mann!
And Baby Driver?
Heat vs The Dark Knight opening, which is the best bank robbery?
Heat, no contest.
Ocean's Eleven is just pure fun, the cast!
Inception is a heist movie too technically
Reservoir Dogs isn't really a heist movie, you never see the heist 😂
That's what makes it brilliant though.