After a significant delay due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023,Liftfinally hit Netflix in January 2024, with F. Gary Gray serving as director and Kevin Hart stepping in as producer and leading actor. This heist comedy film introduces an elite group of thieves who, on the verge of getting caught by an Interpol agent, are given the opportunity of a lifetime to assist in a mission aimed at capturing a terrorist criminal. The task ahead is not an easy one: they must carry out a heist on an aircraft while it is in the air.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó and Jean Reno are some of the actors joining Hart in this film that, while highly anticipated, failed to meet the hoped-for critical reception, scoring a mere27% on Rotten Tomatoesfor, among other things, not bringing anything new to the table. Still, the movie was much better received by audiences, especially by heist genre fans. If you enjoyedLift, and are looking for more heist-filled fun, you should definitely check out these 10 movies next.
10Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018)
Ruben Brandt, Collectoris the 2018 Hungarian film that marked Milorad Krstić’s directorial debut. This animated film stars Ivan Kamarás as Ruben, a psychotherapist who, out of the blue, finds himself haunted by famous artworks that appear in his nightmares. Determined to put an end to his torture, he enlists the help of some of his patients who are highly skilled thieves to steal all of these paintings, thereby becoming one of the world’s most-wanted criminals.
How It’s Like Lift
This 2018 film became its director’s masterpiece, and was hailed by audiences and critics alike for providing a truly memorable immersive experience. While it differs quite a bit fromLift, especially in terms of reception, it does share with it a heist plot that involves artwork as part of the loot.Rent on Apple TV
9Tower Heist (2011)
Tower Heist
2011 marked the premiere ofTower Heist, a heist comedy film by Brett Ratner,starring Ben Stillerand Eddie Murphy with an all-star cast. It follows Josh Kovaks, the manager of a high-end New York City building who, after being scammed by one of the residents of the place, along with his fellow employees, assembles a criminal gang to break into the man’s apartment and take back what is rightfully theirs. Since none of them have any experience as burglars, Josh enlists the help of a childhood friend-turned-criminal, though his methods may not be up to the group’s expectations.
Tower Heistfeatures a stellar cast and a story full of twists and turns that doesn’t require too much thinking, and is sure to delight any fan of the heist genre, just likeLift. Plus, the fact that the thieves themselves lack any experience in the field makes for some hilarious scenes that add to the enjoyment of the flick.Rent on Apple TV
8American Animals (2018)
Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, and Jared Abrahamson star inAmerican Animals, a 2018 movie by Bart Layton, based on a real robbery that unfolded in Lexington, Kentucky in 2004. It blends fiction and real-life interviews to follow four college students with very mundane lives, who set out to steal Transylvania University’s most valuable books in an attempt to make millions.
American AnimalsandLiftrevolve around rather peculiar heists: in the former, the people involved steal rare books, and, in the latter, everything from NFTs to gold (out of a moving airplane, too). Moreover, both movies depict a tension-filled story in which, at times, the main characters seem to be on the verge of losing everything.Stream on Prime Video
7Ocean’s 8 (2018)
In 2018, Steven Soderbergh’s immensely popular film series welcomedOcean’s 8, an all-women spin-off movie directed by Gary Ross. This film, featuring some of the industry’smost impressive ensemble of actresses, follows Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), a professional thief released from prison who assembles an elite criminal group to carry out an ambitious plan: breaking into the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to get their hands on a priceless diamond necklace.
Like most films in the genre, these two heist movies deliver a gripping tale full of edgy scenes in which the intricate plans of the gangs seem too good to succeed. But perhaps the strongest similarity betweenOcean’s 8andLiftis the nature of the heist that the characters must pull off, which is made considerably harder by the level of security on-site. As a result, the criminals must get creative in their methods if they wish to get their hands on the loot.Rent on Apple TV
6The Italian Job (2003)
The Italian Job
Long before directingLift, F. Gary Gray helmedThe Italian Job, a 2003 film starring Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, and Charlize Theron, among other actors. This remake of the 1960s British movie follows a group of criminals that, after being betrayed by a former member who also murdered one of them, sets out for revenge, seeking the gold he stole from them in the past.
The most striking similarity betweenLiftandThe Italian Jobis that they both have the same filmmaker serving as director. More than that, there’s also the fact that they were both partially shot in Italy, and their plots are quite similar: featuring two criminal gangs who, for whatever reason, are willing to do anything to get their hands on a million-dollar pot of gold.Stream on Fubo
Related:Lift Review: Kevin Hart Flexes Leading Man Muscles in Slick Heist Film
5Heat (1995)
Over two decades, after co-starring in the 1974 filmThe Godfather Part II,Robert De Niro and Al Pacinoteamed up again in 1995’sHeat, arguably one of the most influential crime films ever made. This film, written and directed by Michael Mann, follows the turbulent relationship between the expert leader of a criminal gang and the LAPD detective determined to bring him to justice.
Back in the 1990s,Heatgarnered critical and audience acclaim, becoming a widely praised hit that continues to inspire productions to this day. While its reputation is considerably better thanLift’s, both films share, in some ways, the same storyline in which police forces and criminal gangs play cat-and-mouse, getting far more personally involved than they should.Stream on Hulu
4Logan Lucky (2017)
Logan Lucky
Several years after helming theOcean’strilogy, Steven Soderbergh came out of retirement to treat audiences toLogan Lucky, a 2017 heist film starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, and Daniel Craig alongside industry superstars. It follows a group of siblings with an ambitious plan in mind: getting their hands on the money raised at North Carolina’s Charlotte Motor Speedway. To successfully evade the venue’s security measures, they join forces with an old family friend known for his safe-cracking skills.
LiftandLogan Luckyare perfect for fans of the heist genre because they immerse viewers in an action-packed plot, where trouble is waiting around every corner. But they also have another thing in common: they both feature an extremely peculiar and complex heist that seems improbable, but makes it all the more exciting to watch unfold.Rent on Apple TV
3Red Notice (2021)
Red Notice
Read Our Review
Red Noticeis a 2021Netflix original filmdirected by Rawson Marshall Thurber and starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. In it, Johnson plays John Hartley, an FBI agent who is left with no other choice but to join forces with one of the world’s most notorious art thieves to catch a criminal that’s far more skilled than he is.
Red NoticeandLifthave several things in common, aside from the fact that they are both Netflix movies. The two films revolve around police officers teaming up with criminals to catch even bigger targets, and they also happen to involve thefts of artwork worth millions of dollars. At the same time, the two films drew similar reviews, with negative feedback from critics and mixed reactions from audiences.Stream on Netflix
2Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Elevenhit the silver screen in 2001 to become one of the most popular heist movies in history and kick off a memorable franchise. This Soderbergh film features an all-star cast and first introduces master thief Danny Ocean, who, after serving his time in prison, puts together a team of thieves to con a millionaire casino owner, attempting to pull off the biggest casino heist in history.
This masterpiece by Soderbergh earned rave reviews back in the 2000s and became a box-office hit, praised by millions of fans around the world. LikeLift, it features a carefully assembled team of thieves in which everyone has a designated role, yet that’s not enough to avoid the challenges that stand in the way of these groups and their loot.Rent on Apple TV
1Now You See Me (2013)
Now You See Me
Rounding out this list isNow You See Me, a heist movie from Louis Leterrier that hit theaters in 2013. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Mark Ruffalo, the film follows a federal agent and a detective as they attempt to catch a team of magicians using their shows to steal from corrupt businessmen in mysterious ways to give the money to their audience.
Despite not getting the best reviews from critics,Now You See Mestill became a box office hit, and its popularity fueled the development of a sequel,Now You See Me 2, that hit theaters three years later. What’s more, in November 2023,Lionsgate announced the developmentof another sequel,Now You See Me 3.
Besides its plot full of twists and turns with trouble around every corner, the unifying element that brings Leterrier’s film andLiftcloser together is the intricate relationship between police officers and criminals, which is far more complex and personal than it initially appears.Stream on Max
