Thief (1981)

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Michael Mann

Producer:

Jerry Bruckheimer, Ronnie Caan

Writer:

Frank Hohimer

Release Date:

Mar 27, 1981

Runtime:

2hr 3m

Synopsis

After a long prison sentence, a top safe-cracker takes over a couple of businesses that he uses as fronts for diamond heists. After his trusted fence is killed, he agrees to work with a powerful mobster resulting in dire consequences.

Cast

  • James Caan
  • Tuesday Weld
  • Willie Nelson
  • Jim Belushi
  • Robert Prosky
  • Tom Signorelli
  • Dennis Farina
  • Nick Nickeas
  • W.R. Brown
  • Norm Tobin

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.1
294.3K
110.2K
109.2K
RATINGS 3.7K FANS
4.1
  • Jan 3, 2014

    "Why don't you join a labor union?" "I'm wearing it."

    4.5K Likes
    matt lynch
    matt lynch
    Mar 17, 2017

    99 I've seen this so many times I'm pretty sure I could replace my blood with a liquidized 35mm print of Thief and still survive because I learned a lot more from Frank's collage than from most life-lessons by restrictive elders. Also, favorite edit in any film (ever):…

    3.9K Likes
    SilentDawn
    SilentDawn
    Mar 15, 2021

    “You are making big profits from my work, my risk, my sweat. But that is okay, because I elected to make that deal. But now, the deal is over. I want my end, and I am out.“ — Frank to Leo. “I want you to work, until you are burned-out, you are busted, or you're dead... you…

    3.8K Likes
    Jamelle Bouie
    Jamelle Bouie
  •
    May 16, 2023

    i love the city of chicago

    2.5K Likes
    Karsten
    Karsten
    Mar 25, 2021

    What must it be like to create something perfect, peerless?

    1.7K Likes
    Sean Fennessey
    Sean Fennessey
    Jun 5, 2024

    going from freelance to having an employer made him want to blow up his own house

    1.7K Likes
    Jay
    Jay
  •
    Nov 14, 2021

    James Caan rockin white cuffed jeans, no shirt, and aviator shades is an all-time beach fit. absolutely recreating this look next time i’m frolicking on the San Diego shore to celebrate pulling off one last big heist

    1.5K Likes
    mia lee vicino
    mia lee vicino
    Apr 19, 2015

    "I can see my money is still in your pocket, which is from the yield of my labour." Renoir's quote “A director makes only one movie in his life. Then he breaks it into pieces and makes it again,” is more applicable to Mann than probably any other filmmaker. So whats…

    1.5K Likes
    Neil Bahadur
    Neil Bahadur
    Sep 11, 2015

    The cost of the American dream is your soul. So now you know the plot. The break-in sequences are the highlight, slow-burning, detailed, quiet. Meditations on the act, tight focus on tools, on doors, on methods, meditations on craft. Frank is, despite (because of?) the…

    1.4K Likes
    Sally Jane Black
    Sally Jane Black

Queue Community Reviews

87%
Community 1,693
❤️ LOVE
19%
👍 LIKE
68%
😐 MEH
11%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • Jacob Hall
    Jacob Hall liked
    Thief

    Great thriller from Michael Mann with a James Caan masterclass performance. One of the best written anti-heroes I've seen

    🔥 1 1Y
    Jollfoogfl
    Jollfoogfl loved
    Thief

    Another Michael Mann masterpiece. Not as great as Heat but pretty close. James Caan killed this role he really reminds me of a young Ben Affleck but Caan is definitely better. The guy who plays Leo also had an insanely good performance. After the robbery I was worried it was just going to end so…

    1Y
    Aidan White
    Aidan White liked
    Thief

    8.4/10 i had heard that this movie is like in some people’s top 10 all time so i had incredibly high expectations coming in and unfortunately i do not think that this film met them - michael mann delivers a very strong script with some very interesting plot lines but i didn’t see anything that made…

    6D
  • MasterPmkama713
    MasterPmkama713 loved
    Thief

    Fire movie. Such good pacing. Love when it’s such a causal watch and the 4th quarter of the movie is just so action packed. Need to watch more of Michael Manns movies. Acting - 1.6 Plot - 1.6 Directing - 1.7 Cinematography - 1.8 Feeling the movie gave me - 1.7 Overall - 8.4/10 ⭐️

    1Y
    cassius casanova
    cassius casanova loved
    Thief

    diner scene is still one of the most beautiful shots to look at in cinema. james caan was a perfect choice for the lead, he brings a impatient emotional, desperate gruffness to the lead that makes you pay attention to even the boring conversations. loved the grainy blue lighting

    5M
    Nick Dubberly
    Nick Dubberly is "meh" on
    Thief

    I had heard a lot of good things about this film and was a bit curious why I hadn’t really heard about it all that much, plus I found out that it was directed by Michael Mann, and I’m a big fan of Heat, so I decided to check it out.

    2Y
  • JDelp87
    JDelp87 liked
    Thief

    Terrific debut film from Michael Mann. Great atmospheric 80s synth-rock soundtrack. Character work is top notch, with James Caan turning in one of the all-timers. One of the quintessential heist films of all time.

    7M
    Undisclosed Watcher
    Undisclosed Watcher liked
    Thief

    Well structured and solid pace. Good casting and pretty representative of its time with hindsight. Great outfits. Classic heist movie with a higher emphasis on character dynamic development. 8.1/10

    4M
    CvptvinHowdy
    CvptvinHowdy liked
    Thief

    Amazing performances all around, especially by James Caan. The look and score top everything else in this film. It was a bit too slow at points, which is the only reason I didn't love it.

    3Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

78
metacritic
Based on 8 Critics
8.5

USER SCORE (59)

Universal acclaim based on 59 Reviews
90

Debut features are rarely this confident and accomplished, much less such a perfect blueprint of what to expect from a filmmaker down the line.

Metacritic review by Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
The Dissolve
100

Michael Mann’s Thief is one of the most confident directorial debuts of its era, the product of an unprecedented amount of research and preparation.

Metacritic review by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
The A.V. Club
88

It's one of those films where you feel the authority right away: This movie knows its characters, knows its story, and knows exactly how it wants to tell us about them.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Thief (1981) (1981) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Thief (1981) (1981)?
The movie is 2hr 3min long.
What's Thief (1981) (1981) about?
After a long prison sentence, a top safe-cracker takes over a couple of businesses that he uses as fronts for diamond heists. After his trusted fence is killed, he agrees to work with a powerful mobster resulting in dire consequences.
Who's the cast of Thief (1981) (1981)?
  • James Caan as Frank
  • Tuesday Weld as Jessie
  • Willie Nelson as Okla
  • Jim Belushi as Barry
  • Robert Prosky as Leo
  • Tom Signorelli as Attaglia
  • Dennis Farina as Carl
  • Nick Nickeas as Nick
  • W.R. Brown as Mitch
  • Norm Tobin as Guido
Who's the director behind Thief (1981) (1981)?
Michael Mann directed Thief (1981) (1981).
Who produced Thief (1981) (1981)?
Jerry Bruckheimer and Ronnie Caan produced Thief (1981) (1981).