10 Best Movies About Bank Robberies

Robbery, a popular crime theme in movies, explores the two sides of humanity: good and evil. Among them, bank robbery movies stand out as the most thrilling and suspenseful.

By creating captivating storylines that differ from home robberies, screenwriters push the limits of their creativity. Check out these recommendations for gripping and suspenseful bank robbery movies worth watching!

1. Hell or High Water

In a typical bank robbery movie, the culprit is often a criminal gang. But what if the culprit is a family? Hell or High Water tells the story of Toby Howard (Chris Pine), a widower with two children, who asks for help from his ex-convict brother, Tanner Howard (Ben Foster), to rob a bank. Their target is a town in Texas.

What's their motivation? To save their family land from being seized by the bank. With the debt deadline nearing, they start a plan to rob small banks for a few days. Will their risky mission go smoothly?

2. Now You See Me

Bank robberies usually involve gunfights and high-speed chases, but this movie has a unique twist. In Now You See Me, bank robberies are far from ordinary, as the movie incorporates the art of magic. In fact, their act is performed on stage, captivating thousands of viewers.

The story begins with the meeting of four street magicians, each with their own extraordinary skills: J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher). They are brought together by a mysterious person.

Their bold appearance quickly attracts the attention of the public, including FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). Dylan and Alma suspect that the theft by the magicians is just a distraction for a bigger crime. Are their suspicions reasonable?

3. Triple 9

What makes this bank robbery movie different is its plot twist. In Triple 9, the robbery involves Marcus (Anthony Mackie), a corrupt cop assigned to rob a bank and schemes to fool the police.

Marcus is not alone in this attempt, as he teams up with criminals hired by the Russian mafia. Their operation is ordered by Irina (Kate Winslet), the mob boss' wife.

However, their bank robbery becomes more complex as it involves more than just money. Betrayals arise, and the characters struggle with personal conflicts between them. With a tense and thrilling narrative, this movie promises to be an exhilarating experience.

4. Stockholm

In this suspenseful movie inspired by a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, a cunning thief named Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) organizes a hostage-taking at Kreditbank, the largest bank in the Swedish capital.

Looking sly in a leather jacket, bushy wig and thick mustache, Lars draws his gun, demanding the release of his imprisoned partner Gunnar (Mark Strong).

As the robbery progresses, a surprising psychological bond forms between Lars and his two female hostages, Bianca Lind (Noomi Rapace) and Klara Mardh (Bea Santos). Lars' caution wanes, leaving questions about the realization of his strange ambitions.

As the title of the movie suggests, Robert Budreau's film is inspired by a bank robbery that took place in 1973 in Stockholm. This absurd yet real event is the origin of Stockholm Syndrome.

5. Going in Style

Joe (Michael Claine) faces an unfortunate situation when his house is on the edge of foreclosure and his pension is frozen. During a visit to the bank to report the situation, Joe finds himself in the middle of a robbery by three polite young men. Surprisingly, Joe was impressed by the polite attitude of the robbers, considering them better than the heartless bank.

Joe shares the story with his two close friends, Willie (Morgan Freeman) and Al (Alan Arkin), and hilariously, they consider joining the robbery. Despite their age, they are still eager to rob the bank. Will Joe, Willie and Al succeed in robbing the bank without getting caught?

6. Inside Man: Most Wanted

This gripping movie is the official sequel to Spike Lee's Inside Man (2006), which is tied to the previous film starring Denzel Washington.

The story unfolds as a group of robbers infiltrate the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, taking hostages inside the building. Quick action is taken by NYPD negotiator, Remy Darbonne (Aml Ameen), and FBI agent Dr. Brynn Stewart (Rhea Seehorn), who join forces to resolve the crisis.

Led by a woman known as Most Wanted (Roxanne McKee), the robbers exhibit strange behavior, showing no interest in the piles of gold in the bank. Their motives for the robbery run deeper.

As Darbonne and Dr. Stewart explore the investigation, they discover a connection to a previous robbery that took place in 2006. What was the motive for this robbery?

7. The Vault

In this movie, a fire breaks out near a bank, forcing three men disguised as firefighters to break into the building. However, these "firefighters" are actually the culprits behind the fire and are planning a heist.

Michael (Scott Haze), Kramer (Michael Milford), and Cyrus (Keith Loneker) are then joined by two bank visitors, Leah (Francesca Eastwood) and Vee (Taryn Manning). The three robbers turn out to be in a gang with the two bank patrons, and they are even brothers.

Hoping to get a large sum of money, the five robbers initially find only $70,000. That's when Ed Maas (James Franco), the bank manager, reveals the existence of a second, secret safe that contains a much larger sum of money.

Driven by greed, they quickly make their way to the hidden safe. However, they soon discover that there is a sinister reason for its secrecy. Opening the safe will unleash mystical forces that are far more terrifying than the pursuing police officers.

8. Ambulance

Will Sharp, a former marine, desperately needed hundreds of thousands of dollars for his wife's cancer surgery. He asks his adopted brother, Danny Sharp, a notorious criminal, for help.

Reluctantly, Will agrees to Danny's plan to rob a bank to get the funds. With the help of Danny's crew, they commit the heist. However, their plan goes wrong when a policeman named Zach Parker suddenly walks into the bank.

A gunfight breaks out between the police and the robbers, which results in the crew being taken down, except for Will and Danny who escape to a nearby garage. In the chaos, Will accidentally shoots Zach while trying to escape.

While seeking protection, Will and Danny came across an ambulance with paramedic Cam Thompson tending to the wounded Zach. Seizing the opportunity, they "hijack" the ambulance to evade the police while helping Cam save Zach's life.

9. Bandit

A fugitive (Josh Duhamel) escapes from a Michigan prison and assumes a new identity in Canada as Robert Whiteman. Living an honest life, he falls in love with Andrea Hudson (Elisha Cuthbert).

Unfortunately, the honest life does not go smoothly for him. Feeling depressed, he returns to a life of crime, realizing his natural talent as a robber. Posing as a security analyst, he traveled around Canada committing robberies, earning the nickname "The Flying Bandit".

His exploits attract media attention, but also draw the relentless pursuit of a detective (Nestor Carbonell) determined to bring him to justice.

10. 10 Minutes Gone Wrong

Frank Sullivan (Michael Chiklis) is a skilled bank robber trusted by his boss, Rex (Bruce Willis). However, one assignment changes everything. While on a robbery with his brother, Joe (Tyler Jon Olson), they are ambushed and Frank falls unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds Joe has been killed.

Although Frank is devastated, Rex ignores the incident and demands his share of the loot. However, the stolen goods are no longer in Frank's hands. In a race against time, Frank must unravel the mystery behind the betrayal while searching for the missing briefcase. Can he do it?

Those are the recommendations for tense and suspenseful bank robbery movies. Each movie offers an interesting storyline that delves into the background of the criminals. Which movie from this list caught your attention the most? Let us know in the comments!