Move over, Ocean’s Eleven! Real life just gave Hollywood a run for its money. Over the weekend, four masked thieves pulled off a daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The stick-up inspired this list of 10 heist movies you need to watch right now. Check out the list inside.
The four thieves escaped the Louvre Museum with priceless Napoleonic jewels in a seven-minute heist that’s left the world stunned. According to The Guardian, the group used a vehicle-mounted ladder to climb into the museum’s historic Apollo Gallery, smashed through glass displays with power tools, and made off with eight royal jewels. Their impressive burglary included diamond-encrusted tiaras and sapphire necklaces dating back to the 1800s.
The robbery unfolded just after the museum opened Sunday morning, while unsuspecting visitors entered from the opposite side. Police say the precision and speed of the operation suggest it was carried out by a highly experienced crime network. As alarms blared, the robbers fled on motorbikes, leaving behind some of their tools — and a trail of disbelief. The Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa, was forced to close for a second day as investigators launched a full-scale search.
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CNN reports that officials believe the thieves specifically targeted pieces from France’s historic Crown Jewels, including items belonging to Empress Eugénie and Queen Marie-Amélie. While the most valuable artifact (the Regent Diamond, worth over $60 million) remains untouched, the stolen jewels are considered irreplaceable cultural treasures.
The brazen heist has sparked debates about museum security in France, especially following a recent string of museum burglaries. For now, authorities say 60 investigators are on the case, and the search for the missing jewels continues.
While the world waits for answers, the internet is already dubbing the Louvre thieves the “real-life Ocean’s crew.” If this cinematic caper has you craving more stylish break-ins and clever getaways, we’ve got you covered.
Check out 10 iconic heist movies you can watch right now that’ll satisfy your inner art thief and leave you double-checking your security system:
1. 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001)
Dapper Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is a man of action. Less than 24 hours into his parole from a New Jersey penitentiary, the wry, charismatic thief is already rolling out his next plan. He follows three rules: do not hurt anybody, do not steal from anyone who does not deserve it, and play the game like you have got nothing to lose. With those in mind, Danny works to orchestrate the most sophisticated, elaborate casino heist in history, targeting three establishments owned by the man who is dating his ex-wife (Julia Roberts).
2. 'Inside Man' (2006)
The story of a tough cop, Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington), who matches wits with a clever bank robber, Dalton (Clive Owen). As the dangerous cat-and-mouse game unfolds, a wild card emerges: Madaline (Jodie Foster), a power broker with a hidden agenda, who injects even more instability into an already volatile situation.
3. 'The Italian Job' (2003)
After a heist in Venice, Steve (Edward Norton) turns on his partners in crime, killing safecracker John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and keeping all the gold for himself; the rest of the team, including leader Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), driver Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), explosives man Left Ear (Yasiin Bey) and tech geek Lyle (Seth Green), vows revenge; they enlist the help of Bridger’s daughter, Stella (Charlize Theron) and plot to recover the gold from Steve’s Los Angeles mansion.
4. 'Heat' (1995)
Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other’s plans.
5. 'Set It Off' (1996)
After being fired from her job as a bank teller, Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) begins working at a janitorial service with her friends Tisean (Kimberly Elise), a single mother; Cleo (Queen Latifah), a boisterous lesbian; and Stony (Jada Pinkett), who is dealing with the recent death of her brother. The women are struggling with their finances, so they decide to start robbing banks. At first, the group is successful, but they soon attract the attention of an obsessive detective (John C. McGinley).
6. 'Logan Lucky' (2017)
West Virginia family man Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) teams up with his one-armed brother Clyde (Adam Driver) and sister Mellie (Riley Keough) to steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Jimmy also recruits demolition expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) to help them break into the track’s underground system. Complications arise when a mix-up forces the crew to pull off the heist during a popular NASCAR race, while also trying to dodge a relentless FBI agent.
7. 'The Bling Ring' (2013)
Inspired by dramatic real-life events, a teenager and his gang of fame-obsessed youths use the Internet to track the whereabouts of famous celebrities, then rob their homes of riches.
8. 'Widows' (2018)
A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows — Veronica (Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) — have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses’ criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, Veronica joins forces with the other three women to pull off a heist that her husband was planning.
9. 'The Thomas Crown Affair' (1999)
Bored billionaire Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) decides to entertain himself by stealing a Monet from a reputed museum. When Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), an investigator for the museum’s insurance company, takes an interest in Crown, a complicated back-and-forth game with romantic undertones begins between them. In an attempt to find out where Banning’s loyalties lie, Crown returns the painting and essentially turns himself in, hoping that Banning’s feelings for him will lead to an escape.
10. 'Takers' (2010)
Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba) and his friends enjoy a luxurious lifestyle funded by bank robberies, and they avoid capture by sticking to a strict set of rules. As they celebrate the latest job, a former associate arrives with a daring plan to rob an armored car. The lure of so much cash is too tempting to resist, but unbeknownst to Gordon’s men, this heist puts them on a collision course with Russian mobsters and a detective (Matt Dillon) who will do anything to capture them.
