Best Heist Movies Like Kaleidoscope

If our parents tell us that it is bad to steal, then why do we seem to always be rooting for the characters we get to know during a good heist movie or TV show? Maybe because it’s kind of a victimless crime, and we love to see the amazing and intricate plans that they come up with executed down to the last detail in order to pull off the seemingly impossible heist. Kaleidoscope on Netflix is one of those shows that find you cheering for Giancarlo Esposito‘s character, Leo Pap, to pull one over on the police and security. It also got us thinking of some of the best heist movies that you should watch if you are one of those people who love a good boost caper. Here are some of the best.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

With an A-list ensemble cast that includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and Andy Garcia, Ocean’s 11 is a remake of the classic rat-pack film made back in 1960 with Frank Sinatra playing the point man, Danny Ocean. In this slick Steven Soderbergh version, Clooney is tabbed as the lead who after being released from prison, hatches another plan to empty a Las Vegas casino of every single one of its $160 million dollars in its reserve vault. The film spawned several more Ocean heist films and demonstrated the power of star power at the box office by raking in a cool $450 million.on just on $85 million budget.

RELATED: 10 “Heist” Movies That Don’t Actually Involve Stealing Things

The Heist (2001)

David Mamet‘s terrific entry into the heist genre stars Gene Hackman as Joe Moore leading a veteran group of safe crackers on one final heist that will set them up for the rest of their lives. With Danny DeVito as Joe’s money-backer and Delroy Lindo as his longtime partner in crime, Mamet uses some signature snappy and sometimes harsh dialogue to tell the tale of the daring and intricate boost as only the great playwright/director can. The Heist is a terrific robbery film and no list would be complete without it.

Baby Driver (2017)

When fencer, Doc (Kevin Spacey), bankrolls a job and needs to put together a team to pull off a series of complex and risky heists, he knows that he must have Baby (Ansel Elgort) behind the wheel as he is the best getaway driver he’s ever worked with. Along with a rag tag group that includes Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Jon Bernthal, trouble ensues when each member starts to turn on one another leading to some of the best cinematic car chase sequences ever captured on film. Baby Driver is a cool con caper that features a top-notch soundtrack on top of a great thrill ride.

The Town (2010)

Not to be outdone by his best pal, Matt Damon in Ocean’s Eleven, Ben Affleck shines on both sides of the camera in The Town, a well-acted thriller that sees him both direct and lead a group of blue-collar Bostonians on a job that will put all of their lives at risk for some quick cash. This is a stellar heist film that feature Oscar worthy performances from Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall as a couple of troubled associates of Affleck’s Doug MacRay character looking to score big before the cops get wise to their plot.

Jackie Brown (1997)

Quentin Tarantino‘s meteoric rise to the top of the cinema universe saw him stop off in 1997 to take a deep dive into the heist genre with the gritty Jackie Brown. One of the things that all the films on this list have in common is an incredible group of actors plying their craft. This one is no exception as Pam Grier stars in the titular role as a flight attendant who double-crosses her gun-dealing boss Ordell Robbie (Tarantino muse Samuel Jackson) and plot to make off with some serious money while Micheal Keaton stars as the one of the cops tasked with vying to track down the elusive and seductive con-artist.

Now You See Me (2013)

If you were a master magician with world-class sleight-of-hand skills, would you use them to steal millions of dollars? That’s exactly what the crew of thieves do in Now You See Me directed by Louis Leterrier. Jesse Eiesenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco are known as the entertainment group, The Four Horsemen, and they decide to team up to maximize each one of their talents to pull off a series of massive heist in plain sight. But don’t blink, because not everything is what it appears to be when they underestimate rogue federal agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) who is may have an agenda of his own. The film did well enough to earn two more entries to form a heist-lover’s trilogy.

Heat (1995)

One of our favorite directors, Michael Mann, couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with both Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in this heist-crime thriller that sees a game of cat-and-mouse between the two big screen legends in 1995’s Heat. Pacino is a troubled cop who is trying to preserve his own family while also doing his best to catch up with DeNiro and his crew of gun-toting bank robbers that take great pride in their meticulous and dangerous cash grabs. It’s a battle of wits and wills between the legends in a film that also benefit from the terrific cinematography and lock-step pacing of a superb director. Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, and Tom Sizemore all provide solid support in this criminally (no pun intended) underrated flick.

Inside Man (2006)

Clive Owen (Dalton Russell) is a charming and charismatic point man in this excellent caper that plays out over several days. After Russell’s team uses hostages to leverage their way to freedom. Denzel Washington‘s Detective Keith Frazier isn’t about to let him and his crew him escape from the clutches of the NYPD. He must tread lightly, however, as the clever criminal has dozens of innocent lives and lots of loot in his possession in this tense, edge-of-you-seat thriller. Jodie Foster is also excellent as a reluctant intermediary between the two as she tries to negotiate an agreement without tipping her hand on her own involvement in the crime.