Ocean’s Eleven
Year: 2002
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Ocean’s 11 is an excellent option for anyone looking to enjoy a heist movie. It is far from being perfect but it makes up for it through its star-studded cast that includes Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts. The viewers get sucked into rooting for the criminals as they try to outsmart their nemesis who is played by Andy Garcia. With such great actors and an exciting story, the movie was bound to succeed. And it did, both in the eyes of critics and fans.
The Killing
Year: 1956
Director: Stanley Kubrick
For most fans familiar with his work, Stanley Kubrick is known as the director of movies like A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, both of which looked at the moral degeneration of its characters in unrealistic settings in a way that was somewhat disturbing. But way back in 1956, Kubrick was trying his hand at noir crime fiction with The Killing. The movie is about a criminal looking to make a clean break from his shady past by committing one final dishonourable act. But as it so often happens, this final act turns out to be far more complicated than expected. The movie is made in the style of a quasi-documentary and manages to hold the attention of the viewer till the very end. The movie set the template for films of this genre in the future.
Reservoir Dogs
Year: 1992
Director: Quentin Tarantino
This movie marked the debut of Quentin Tarantino as feature-length movie director and contained all signs of the greatness that was to follow. The movie contained large amounts of violence and profanities which was to become a distinguishing feature of a new genre spurred by this film. This movie came to be regarded as a classic by critics and became a cult hit among the fans. The unique names of the characters along with a unique storytelling style gave this movie a sense of novelty and carved a niche for its director.
Dog Day Afternoon
Year: 1975
Director: Sidney Lumet
When you have an actor of the quality of Al Pacino performing at his best and is backed by a good storyline, chances are you will have a riveting movie. That’s exactly what you get in Dog Day Afternoon. This movie is not about the execution of a perfect heist but of the situation that arises when things go horribly wrong. Interestingly the movie is based on real events but does take artistic liberties in order to have a gripping narrative. Pacino’s depiction makes the viewer sympathise with the robber as he looks destined for a bad end.
The Usual Suspects
Year: 1995
Director: Bryan Singer
This film, starring Kevin Spacey and Chazz Palminteri, is the perfect potboiler which keeps the viewer engaged and often at the edge of his seat. The combination of director Bryan Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie develop a narrative that is full of twists and turns which along with other tools of storytelling create great drama and thrill. The movie manages to successfully combine elements of both the gangster and the mystery genre in a way that is hard to achieve.