10 Movies like Den of Thieves you must watch

By Kieran Burt
Published: July 24, 2023 (Last updated: September 12, 2024)
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10 Movies like Den of Thieves you must watch

We discuss 10 movies like Den of Thieves you must watch. Add these well-recommended and highly-rated films to your watch list.

Den of Thieves follows Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler), the leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of cops at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The film sees him going up against Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), the leader of the Outlaws, a gang of ex-military men who use their tactical knowledge and expert skills to evade capture.

Heist movies are an incredibly popular genre, as audiences watch a meticulously planned heist go wrong and descend into cathartic chaos. There have been some amazing films in this niche, with some making up crimes and groups but others taking inspiration from real-life heists.

If you liked Den of Thieves, here are ten films like it you must watch.

10 Movies like Den of Thieves

Heat (1995)

Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a master criminal desperately trying to keep control of one of the men while simultaneously planning a huge heist before retiring.

Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) is in charge of tracking McCauley down and bringing him to justice, even as he deals with the chaos within his own life, like the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the spiraling mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman).

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Triple 9 (2016)

After a bank robbery by armed thieves doesn’t get the results she wants, Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet) orders the men to steal documents that will convict her husband.

Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie), a corrupt cop on the team, gets partnered up with the incorruptible Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), but Belmont realizes he can use Allen as a pawn in their heist.

Hell or High Water (2016)

Toby Howard (Chris Pine) is a single father who wants a better life for his son. To get this, he joins his short-tempered brother Tanner (Ben Foster) and commits a series of heists against the bank that will foreclose on the family ranch.

But Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a Texas Ranger, won’t let them, and even though he’s six weeks away from retirement, he’s still not ready for the quiet life.

Baby Driver (2017)

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the go-to getaway driver for the mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey) whenever he plans a heist. Baby is great at his job, making sure he has a handpicked soundtrack ready for every ride.

But Baby wants out of this life, hoping to do one more job with Doc, Buddy (Jon Hamm), Bats (Jamie Foxx), and Darling (Eiza González) before he rides off into the sunset with his love Debora (Lily James). But things don’t go to plan, and Baby soon finds everything falling apart.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Gangster Danny Ocean (George Clooney) assembles a team of eleven people to try and steal money from three popular Las Vegas casinos, which are all owned by his rival, Terry Benedict (Andy García).

The Score (2001)

Nick Wells (Robert De Niro), who’s made a career out of thievery, is planning a nearly impossible robbery that will need him to partner up with Jack Teller (Edward Norton) on the advice of Nick’s friend, Max (Marlon Brando). But this heist violates Nick’s golden rule, always work alone.

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Training Day (2001)

Officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is a newly recruited officer up for his evaluation and is paired with narcotics officer Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). But Hoyt soon learns that Harris isn’t as clean as he thought, and the question of whether Harris is handling the situation in the appropriate way soon crops up.

The King of Thieves (2018)

Brian Reader (Michael Caine) is 77 years old and a retired criminal. When he sees his old partners in crime at his wife’s funeral, the group plans one last hurrah and a burglary at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in London. But greed quickly overtakes the group, and everything falls apart.

Ambulance (2022)

In desperate need of money for his wife’s health bills, veteran William Sharp teams up with his adoptive brother, Daniel Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal), to steal $32 million from a Los Angeles bank.

But their getaway goes horribly wrong, and the pair are forced to hijack an ambulance that contains a badly injured policeman and an EMT worker. The pair must work out how to outrun the law while keeping the two hostages they’ve unwittingly kidnapped alive.

The Departed (2006)

Policeman Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) infiltrates the crime organization that belongs to mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy gains his trust, a man from the mob, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), infiltrates the police to report on their activities.

When both parties realize they have moles in their midst, Billy and Colin have to learn each other’s true identities to save their lives.

Do you have any other recommendations for movies like Den of Thieves? Let us know in the comments.

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