Thief
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- Trailer 1 (01:52)
Movie Info & Cast
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
278.5K
105.8K
103.2K
- Jan 3, 2014
"Why don't you join a labor union?" "I'm wearing it."
matt lynchMar 17, 201799 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):…
SilentDawnMar 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…
Jamelle Bouie - May 16, 2023
i love the city of chicago
KarstenMar 25, 2021What must it be like to create something perfect, peerless?
Sean FennesseyNov 14, 2021James 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
mia lee vicino - Jun 5, 2024
going from freelance to having an employer made him want to blow up his own house
JayApr 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…
Neil BahadurSep 11, 2015The 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…
Sally Jane Black
Queue Community Reviews
88%
Community 1,620
Top Reviews
- Jacob Hall likedThief
Great thriller from Michael Mann with a James Caan masterclass performance. One of the best written anti-heroes I've seen
Jollfoogfl lovedThiefAnother 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…
MasterPmkama713 lovedThiefFire 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 ⭐️
- cassius casanova lovedThief
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
Nick Dubberly is "meh" onThiefI 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.
JDelp87 likedThiefTerrific 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.
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Undisclosed Watcher likedThiefWell 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
CvptvinHowdy likedThiefAmazing 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.
dvvillx lovedThiefJames Caan absolutely crushed his performance, the sound-wave heavy synth score was perfect yet intriguing and the plot knows how to keep you engaged enough throughout it’s runtime.
Atom Users Reviews
Metacritic
Debut features are rarely this confident and accomplished, much less such a perfect blueprint of what to expect from a filmmaker down the line.
Scott Tobias
The Dissolve
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.
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
The A.V. Club
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.
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thief (1981) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Thief (1981)?
The movie is 2hr 3min long.
What's Thief (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)?
- 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)?
Michael Mann directed Thief (1981).
Who produced Thief (1981)?
Jerry Bruckheimer and Ronnie Caan produced Thief (1981).
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