Overview
A master safecracker's pursuit of the American Dream leads to a dangerous entanglement with crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- rain-soaked
- serious
- late night viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Thief as an intelligent, stylish, character-driven neo-noir thriller distinguished by Michael Mann's direction and James Caan's performance, despite some criticism of its overwritten dialogue.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank's plan for a home, wife, children, and respectable retirement is explicitly assembled through the proceeds of professional burglary.
Frank's safecracking and diamond-heist work are framed as specialized trades requiring preparation, skill, risk, and physical labor.
Frank accepts one final large job from gangster Leo Alderman to accelerate his retirement, only to lose his independence.
The Chicago setting, rain-slick atmosphere, and Tangerine Dream score support Michael Mann's distinctive nocturnal crime aesthetic.
Films like Thief, and why
Heat
shares neo-noir crime filmmaking, professional criminals, moral fatalism, and meticulously staged heists
The Driver
shares bleak urban crime atmosphere, criminal professionalism, and a protagonist pursuing independence through dangerous work
The Killing
shares hard-edged heist mechanics, underworld betrayal, and a stripped-down crime-thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Release Date
- 1981-03-27
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (903)
Cast
- James Caan
- Tuesday Weld
- Robert Prosky
- Willie Nelson
- Jim Belushi
- Tom Signorelli
- Dennis Farina
- Nick Nickeas
- W.R. Brown
- Norm Tobin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Thief about?
- An exacting Chicago safecracker risks his hard-won independence on one last job meant to buy him a conventional life.
- What is Thief like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Thief as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Thief violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Thief as moderate.
- What did critics think of Thief?
- Critics broadly regard Thief as an intelligent, stylish, character-driven neo-noir thriller distinguished by Michael Mann's direction and James Caan's performance, despite some criticism of its overwritten dialogue.
- Which films are like Thief?
- Films with a similar feel include Heat, The Driver, and The Killing.
- How long is Thief?
- Thief runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Thief?
- In United States, Thief streams on Criterion Channel.
