Today’s quick review: King of Thieves. Brian Reader (Michael Caine), a retired criminal, lets Basil (Charlie Cox) talk him into one last job: robbing London’s jewelry district. Brian brings in Terry Perkins (Jim Broadbent) and some of their old friends (Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, and Paul Whitehouse) to help out. But although the job is simple in theory, it turns complicated when Brian has a falling out with the rest of the crew.
King of Thieves is a crime drama based on a true story. The movie follows a crew of aging thieves as they try to steal a fortune in diamonds, gold, and jewelry. King of Thieves features a distinguished cast, a snappy presentation style, and more fully developed characters than other crime movies. The tradeoff is that it is also more subdued, with a straightforward heist, almost no action, and realistically flawed characters.
King of Thieves’ main strength is that it is believable. Basil’s plan requires a couple of clever tricks, but the central pillar of it is mundane: a vault with lax security measures that’s being left alone over a long weekend. Brian, Terry, and the others are not suave, superhuman criminals. They bicker, they joke, and they make obvious mistakes, to the point where a large part of the movie’s appeal comes from seeing them make mistakes.
King of Thieves will not appeal to everyone. Crime fans looking for thrilling action or a larger-than-life plot will be disappointed. Drama fans hoping for an insightful drama will likewise find King of Thieves unappealing. But fans of the softer side of the crime genre will find the movie to be an enjoyable watch. Give it a shot if you’re in the mood for a heist that’s generally light but includes some decent character-driven conflict.
For a more comedic movie about a group of aging criminals, try Going in Style or The Maiden Heist. For another true story about a famous London robbery, try The Bank Job. For a more colorful diamond heist set in Britain, try Snatch. For a true story about a gang of amateur criminals, try Kidnapping Mr. Heineken.
[5.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5789976/). I give it a 6.5 for a modest but entertaining heist.