Fool's Luck: 5 Heist Movies About Clumsy Amateurs Somehow Making It

Over the years, heist movies have grown into an entirely new genre, easily recognizable by their own specifics and familiar tropes, such as assembling a group of sophisticated professionals, developing an elaborate plan, and dealing with unexpected complications.

But when you replace skilled thieves with complete amateurs, the atmosphere of the whole thing changes drastically, leading to all sorts of comedic and sometimes even dramatic moments.

So let's take a look at five heist movies that follow incompetent criminals who decide they can pull off a heist in their lives.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

With his directorial debut, Guy Ritchie immediately proved himself to be an exceptionally talented filmmaker, as this film, starring Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher and Jason Statham in his very first role, became an instant massive success.

The plot follows a group of friends who suddenly find themselves in deep debt to a ruthless criminal after foolishly participating in a rigged card game.

At the same time, two small-time criminals are hired to steal antique shotguns, and after a series of unexpected events, the two storylines become intertwined, leading to some unexpected outcomes.

Logan Lucky (2017)

Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig in one of the most hilarious roles of his career, the movie follows two brothers going through a tough time in their lives who decide to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway used for NASCAR races.

After assembling a ragtag crew of other petty criminals, they devise a seemingly ingenious plan to use their knowledge of the infrastructure to steal the money during a particularly big race.

Snatch (2000)

Another Guy Ritchie film on our list, this crime comedy starring Jason Statham and Stephen Graham begins with a priceless diamond being stolen by a gang of robbers in Antwerp and eventually making its way to London.

This sets off a long and convoluted chain of events involving amateur boxers, a ruthless British crime lord known for feeding his victims to pigs, Irish Travellers, and an ex-KGB agent who is particularly hard to kill.

American Animals (2018)

Based on a real-life book heist that took place at Transylvania University in 2004, this movie is different from the other, more comedic entries on our list, but that doesn't make it any less spectacular.

It follows Spencer Reinhard, portrayed by Barry Keoghan, who becomes particularly interested in the very rare first edition of The Birds of America, which could go for a hefty sum on the black market.

Thinking it will be an easy job, he and his friend Warren Lipka, played by Evan Peters, along with two other young opportunists, decide to go for it, but the deal quickly goes sideways.

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Featuring an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Ben Mendelsohn and Ray Liotta, this crime thriller set in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis centers on small-time gangsters and a drug addict who decide to rob a Mafia poker game.

Unfortunately, they quickly realize that they have bitten off more than they can chew, and the whole operation quickly spirals into utter chaos.