Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Theres always going to be something compelling abouta crew pulling off an elaborate theftonscreen.
Heist movies have suspense, stakes, and conflict baked into the structure.
Its why the format has survived and thrived well into the 21st century.
(This weekend, in fact, sees the release ofKing of Thieves).
They have a clear goal, often one with a higher significance.
Theyre problem solvers, usually smarter than the audiences theyre daring to keep up.
In short, characters in a heist movie are figures audiences can admire on the screen.
But in the nearly 17 years since, that model has barely been updated.
Out of that came a string of pulpy, populist masterpieces, likeL.A.
Confidential,Fargo, and Michael Manns heist opera,Heat.
Movies likeDonnie Brasco, The Big Hit, and the Stallone-starringGet Carterremake came and went without much notice.
Things didnt look great.
Then Danny Ocean got out of prison.
His eyes are on recapturing the heart of his wife, played by Julia Roberts.
More than anythingOceans Elevenis a joy.
These characters are likable and like each other.
They seem to have fun doing their job.
The same could be said for the actors onscreen.
And the studios paid attention.Elevens success coincided with a sea change in studio filmmaking.
ButOceansdefied the calculations of studios that were starting to value intellectual property and brand awareness above all.
It was that alchemical mix of genuine stars, confident filmmaking, and the ability to dazzle.
What followed was a generation of movies looking to replicate its tone, with mixed success.
Marvel got in on the action and made a heist the centerpiece ofAnt-Man.
And as studios pumped out more and more of them, the genre by and large grew stale.
(That figure, however, isnt adjusted for misogyny, which was undoubtedly a factor.)
Its fun, the performances are strong, everybody seems to get along.
Rihanna plays a hacker named Nine Ball!
The movie also completely lacked stakes.
Never once does it feel like everything could go badly and that these peoples lives would effectively be over.
At leastElevenhad Andy Garcias Terry Benedict.
The crew inEightare just trying to rip off Cartier.
The closest thing to an antagonist is played by human teddy bear James Corden.
Rosss direction doesnt bring any style to it that wasnt already there inEleven, 17 years earlier.
People started to take Ben Affleck seriously again afterThe Town.
AndHell or High Waternotched four Oscar nods.
A night at the Bellagio this wasnt.
The only thing they really need is a crew, a job, and a plan.
