A group of charismatic thieves goes viral for sharing their heists on social media, encouraging followers to join their rebellion. But as the FBI closes in, the line between criminal, vigilante, and the good guy blurs. Starring Nicholas Hoult, ZoĂ« Kravitz, and John C. Reilly, How to Rob a Bank is a Robin Hood story for the “eat the rich” era, targeting corrupt systems. It’s boisterous in how it presents itself, which makes for a thrilling time.
The film follows Ryan (Hoult), the ringleader of a group of bank robbers made up of his close pals, played by Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz, and Pete Davidson. Each has their own unique reasons for stealing the money, but most of all, they want to stick it to the banks that prey on folks.
They post their methods on their rapidly growing YouTube channel, taunting law enforcement and the industries they’re targeting. But FBI Agent West (John C. Reilly) is feeling the pressure to put an end to their reign, so he taps a troubled tech wiz named Reagan (Zoë Kravitz) to help catch them. But it’ll have them questioning the real villain in the story.
Directed by action filmmaker and former stuntman David Leitch and written by Mark Bianculli, How to Rob a Bank is a radical crime thriller filled with nerve-wracking pressure and suspenseful storytelling that keeps a playful tone throughout. It taps into the content creator generation unapologetically with a colorful, dynamic editing style highlighting the crew’s shenanigans, but also reserves itself enough in the moments to bring realness to the characters.
It’s vicious in how it tears into the 1% and attacks our capitalistic society, empowering the viewer to question everything. Dare I say it could radicalize those who haven’t been paying attention to how billionaires screw us over every day. And Hoult really sells the message, with his character often breaking the fourth wall to deliver a wake-up call.
There’s a truly rebellious message beyond the Hollywood theatrics that feels so timely. And while the story is obviously highly dramatized and fictitious, the focus stays on the suffering that many people face. Which, sure, there’s irony in a tens-of-millions-of-dollars production telling us that, but its message isn’t lost.
And it works so well because of the characters at the core of its story. It brings a very surprising emotional element to an otherwise action-packed film. The big standout is Davidson. An actor most often known for his comedic chops, he shows a more serious side to deliver an impressive performance and a major turn for the film.
Everyone really holds their own, unfortunately, the one weak point is Kravitz’s character — a coder formerly on house arrest who’s provided the opportunity to use her illegal program to hunt down the robbers. While she provides some humorous moments and has a great dynamic with Agent West, Reagan feels a bit unnecessary and doesn’t really get a worthwhile arc.
How to Rob a Bank is a high-octane thrill ride. Loud and obnoxious most of the time, but that’s its goal. It’s a clever take on a modern rebellion and leans into the notion that bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good people do bad things in response. It might be one of those films that’s not for everyone, but it certainly kept me hooked.
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