2018 / 140m - USA
Crime, Action
3.0*/5.0*
Den of Thieves poster

Watches

September 26, 2020

3.0*/5.0*

A decent but standard heist flick. Two crews take each other on. One is a group of master thieves who are known for planning elaborate heists, the other a group of wayward cops known for playing light and loose with the rules. Caught in the middle sits a simple barman who acts as the driver.

Den of Thieves goes for the grittier action. Tough, pumped up men do a lot of grunting, posing and love acting rough with each other. And when the guns get out, it's the type of heavy machinery that can win wars. While director Gudegast clearly has the chops for this work, he fails to add something of his own.

140 minutes is too long for a film that brings nothing new to the table. Performances are solid, the action scenes are good and the heist is pretty fun, but some personal drama feels misplaced and some scenes are dragged out too long. If Gudegast had managed to cut 30 minutes or so, this would've been a lot better.