Today’s quick review: Plastic. Sam (Ed Speleers), Fordy (Will Poulter), Yatesy (Alfie Allen), and Rafa (Sebastian de Souza) are university students who have made tens of thousands of dollars through blackmail, identity theft, and credit card fraud. But the party comes to an end when they accidentally steal from Marcel (Thomas Kretschmann), a hardened criminal who gives them just two weeks to steal another $2 million to pay off their debt.
Plastic is a crime drama that’s based on a true story. The movie follows Sam and his crew as they try to pull off their largest job yet: a $3.5 million spending spree in Miami using high-limit credit cards stolen by Frankie (Emma Rigby), the newest member of the group. Plastic features an interesting setup and decent follow-through, testing its characters’ ability to plan ahead, think big, and react to dangerous changing circumstances.
Plastic hits a sweet spot with its scope. Sam and the others are amateurs who make it big, just on the cusp of the flashy success seen in other crime dramas but without the bitterness or complacency that comes with it. This lets Plastic dip its toes in the glamor and danger of the criminal underworld without having to dive all the way in. The result is a movie with a mixture of levity and drama with just enough spectacle to keep the viewer hooked.
The other major point in Plastic’s favor is the dynamics between its characters. Unlike other crime movies, Sam’s crew is not just there for show. The relationships between the characters have an impact on the plan itself, from the power struggle between Sam and Yatesy to the group’s abuse of Frankie’s trust. The characters themselves are not groundbreaking or especially charming, but they fit the story well and their motivations actually matter.
All in all, Plastic is a modest entry into the heist genre that gets the fundamentals right. The acting, writing, and direction are not as polished as other crime movies, and the premise is not as grand, but Plastic does a good job of using the tools at its disposal to tell an interesting story. Those in the mood for a heist movie with a dash of drama should give it a shot. Keep looking if you’re looking for something truly mind-bending.
For a more stylish British crime movie with an elaborate plot, try Layer Cake, Snatch, or The Gentlemen. For a darker crime drama about criminals in over their heads, try Killing Them Softly or Cardboard Gangsters. For a more action-oriented movie about a criminal forced to complete an impossible job, try Gone in Sixty Seconds. For a true story about a con man and forger who lied his way to success, try Catch Me If You Can.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a clever plot and a few rough edges.