Everyone loves a good heist movie. With the genre going as far back as 1950's Asphalt Jungle, heist movies have grown to become their own subgenre of crime movies. Filled with cool characters that the audiences both look up to and relate to, heist movies are a way for viewers to pretend to be outlaws on the run, imagining that they're always two steps ahead of everyone.
Between bank robberies in films like Now You See Me, casino heists in Ocean's Eleven, or gritty and realistic armored truck robberies in Michael Mann's Heat, movies have shown that there are a lot of different ways to steal something, and each team needs the perfect plan with every member doing their job. Planners, demolition experts, safecrackers, and more are all essential to pulling off the perfect crime.
Chris - Weapon (Heat)
No matter what the team is planning to steal, you can pretty much always count on things going completely sideways at least once. Even the perfect heist has the potential to get out of hand, and when that happens you want someone who knows how to handle themselves around a gun. Val Kilmer's iconic character in shootout at the end of the heist classic.
Joe Bang - Demolition Expert (Logan Lucky)
That giant metal door isn't going to blow itself up, is it? Every team needs someone that knows how to handle demolitions, whether it's to get into that secret room, create a diversion for the police, or cause enough chaos to allow the team to escape. Explosions are a given in any heist.
Daniel Craig's character from the hilarious Logan Lucky is the perfect man for the job, as audiences got to see him make a powerful explosive device - a "Joe Bang," if you will - out of nothing more than some fake salt and a bag of gummy bears in that film. He might be a bit of a wildcard, but he's nothing if not resourceful.
Cobb - Creativity (Inception)
The more creative the heist, the more likely it is to be successful. And when it comes to creativity, Leonardo Dicaprio's character in the Christopher Nolan epic Inception is simply the best. With enough motivation, there is nothing that this man can't do, and his ability to time each aspect of the plan down to the second is one of the most important aspects of any successful heist. Of course, the rest of the team would need to watch out for any mention of his wife, as things could get out of hand in a hurry.
Bodhi - Stuntman (Point Break)
Just like with the demolitions expert, there's simply no telling when things are going to get so crazy that the only way to make it out with the cash intact is to perform some death-defying stunts. In this instance, Patrick Swayze's famous Point Break character is the one you want on your team. If you need someone to jump out of a window or do a stunt involving a zipline, there is no substitute for Bodhi's powerful athletic prowess.
Henley - Escape Artist (Now You See Me)
Sometimes the best plan for a heist involves getting caught. Maybe one of the team gets caught on purpose to distract the cops from the real heist or perhaps they do so to create some other kind of diversion. Obviously, that person can't actually go to jail, as then things would fall apart completely.
That is where Now You See Me's Henley comes in. Whether she is breaking out of handcuffs or any other kind of hostage situation that the crew might have gotten themselves into, having someone that can escape from basically any situation will be essential in case someone gets busted.
Stella - Safe Cracker (The Italian Job)
No matter how perfect the plan is, none of it matters if the team can't actually get to the goods they are trying to steal. With tons of complicated locks and security measures - and the complex nature of the safes themselves - it's too risky to have anyone but the best safecracker in the world for the job. Charlize Theron's mini cooper driving character in the 2001 remake of The Italian Job is exactly that, the best. Even under intense circumstances and with a sudden change in safe style, Stella still managed to break in.
Driver - Getaway Driver (Drive)
When it comes to hiring the proper getaway driver for your perfectly planned bank or jewelry heist there should really only be one thing that you want this crew member to do: Drive. Quite, composed and professional, Ryan Gosling's titular character in 2011's Drive is the perfect getaway driver for any and all illegal activity that requires an escape.
With no chance of him snitching and definitely no chance of the police catching him if he's behind the wheel, this is the man the crew can put their faith in to get them away safely.
Mr. White - The Veteran (Reservoir Dogs)
Hopefully, there's no chance of an undercover agent infiltrating your team because Reservoir Dogs' Mr.White isn't exactly the best at identifying them. However, having a crew member that has done a hundred heists before is someone that can be extremely valuable to the team, especially when things go off the rails. Since he is able to stay calm and think clearly under pressure, Mr.White will help get everyone under control and reassess what needs to be done.
Daniel Ocean - The Mastermind (Ocean's Eleven)
Without a plan, there is no heist. With so many variables and ways to approach any given heist, you need one person in charge to make the big decisions like identifying who, when, and how. capable of planning a heist so perfect that no one even knows that anything was stolen. Because he is the only one capable of assembling and controlling such a successful team, Daniel Ocean simply has to be in charge.
Veronica - The Pocket Ace (Widows)
Every heist movie needs a crazy twist that no one saw coming, and Veronica knows a thing or two about twists. Maybe she's the only one that knows the true heist, or maybe she has a plan to make off with the money herself. It simply wouldn't be a proper heist without some form of double-crossing or some information that was kept from the rest of the crew for their safety. The mastermind may be two steps ahead of everyone else, but the "pocket ace" has to be two steps ahead of the mastermind.
