Original films are a dime a dozen these days, and one opens this weekend from director David Leitch, called How to Rob a Bank, an action-comedy heist film that was originally supposed to open in September but now hits screens this Friday. The trailers and promo have looked promising for the movie, although Ebenezer, also opening this weekend, has garnered most of the attention.
Aesthetically, it looks like a new-age Smokin’ Aces in terms of its energy, and it boasts a pretty fun ensemble cast that makes it even more eye-catching. The film held a series of press screenings this week, and with the social embargo having been lifted, it looks like How to Rob a Bank is much more than a stylish and kinetic action flick.
What Are The First Reactions Saying?
While some may not enjoy an action film that gets too topical, How to Rob a Bank is scoring points for being more than a check-your-brain-at-the-door experience. By hitting the mark on the economic pressures Gen Z faces while creating content to garner attention, How to Rob a Bank delivers a poignant message that resonates with those frustrated with how things are going in today’s world.
The bank heist has been done in many films before this one, but other reactions say not to expect a typical movie from the genre and that it’s a superb mix of non-stop action that entertains and original ideas that reflect today’s headlines. Leitch’s direction is also getting positive notice, with comparisons to Point Break, but it’s also being described as that early ’90s classic dialed up to a hundred.
Some are calling the film slick and sexy, with The Fast and the Furious also being mentioned as a comparison but with a more social media twist. With its vivid action, top-notch ensemble cast, and a message that delivers, How to Rob a Bank looks like a heist audiences will want to go on. You can check out the first reactions below!
What Is How to Rob a Bank About?
Directed by David Leitch and written by Mark Bianculli, How to Rob a Bank follows a crew of bank robbers who use social media to document all of their heists that they have successfully pulled off, which puts them in the sights of a veteran FBI agent and a brilliant software engineer. As both parties close in, the crew continues to push the limits of their heists and puts everything on the line for their beliefs in changing the system, as well as a big job that will be their most ambitious one to date. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz, Christian Slater, Pete Davidson, and John C. Reilly.
Leitch, the stuntman turned director, has helmed such projects as Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fall Guy, Bullet Train, and John Wick (as a co-director), and this time he brings something more with the themes in How to Rob a Bank that work alongside his fresh visual style that have made his films a highlight for action fans. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Leitch brought up the topical and fresh spin it puts on the traditional Robin Hood story by saying, “How to Rob a Bank challenges individuals to change the system. [Our protagonists] are asking you to be proactive in the ways that you can. Go out and vote for what you believe in. We still live in a democracy.”
Leitch and his wife/producing partner, Kelly McCormick, also said they were able to push their message forward even more by keeping the budget smaller than their previous films. The film carries a production budget between $40 million and $60 million, and Leitch revealed to Variety that by creating the project as an original film, he was able to keep the scale more targeted than his bigger-budget releases. Given all that they put into this film, here’s to hoping that moviegoers give How to Rob a Bank a shot this weekend.
How to Rob a Bank opens in theaters nationwide this Friday.
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