Great characters in films can belong to all types of professions. There are blue-collar employee characters, there are author characters, and—after all—there are criminals. These might be among the most fascinating of the bunch, making for compelling crime movies that consider the complexities of morality and the deeply human nuances of one thing like, as an example, theft.

As it seems, film characters who occur to be thieves additionally occur to be one of many artwork kind’s most compelling characters. From indie classics like Pulp Fiction to huge crime blockbusters like Inception, there are many movies which have excellent examples of such characters. In order to qualify, the thief in query mustn’t be primarily based on an actual particular person (sorry, Bonnie and Clyde).

10 Michel

‘Pickpocket’ (1959)

Written and directed by Robert Bresson, a grasp of cinematic minimalism and one among France’s biggest and most influential filmmakers ever, Pickpocket is among the director’s greatest. It’s the story of Michel, who passes the time by choosing pockets whereas underneath shut watch of the police. His buddy could suspect his misdemeanors, whereas each males have their eyes locked on the gorgeous neighbor of Michel’s ailing mom.

One of one of the best arthouse crime films of all time, Pickpocket is filled with all the pieces that makes Bresson such an acclaimed auteur, from the hermetic storytelling with surprisingly hard-hitting emotional outcomes to the fascinating characters. Michel himself has a riveting arc, which units the muse for the movie’s questioning of what drives folks to criminality. The incontrovertible fact that this character research is centered on only a petty thief speaks volumes concerning the big human tales that Bresson was capable of inform with the smallest premises.

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9 Pumpkin and Honey Bunny

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

One of the Nineties’ greatest R-rated crime films, in addition to arguably the last decade’s single greatest and most influential indie movie, Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino‘s magnum opus. It’s a darkish comedy that interweaves a number of tales: That of two mob hitmen, that of a boxer and his girlfriend, that of a gangster and his spouse, and that of a pair of diner bandits.

This gripping story of violence and redemption broke new floor and began a pattern of multi-narrative movies that took fairly some time to decelerate. All of its characters are participating, however the diner thieves particularly—codenamed Pumpkin and Honey Bunny—are among the many movie’s most memorable. There’s an excellent purpose why the movie opens with them. Their dynamic is entertaining, their dialogue flows like honey, and their storyline is the right method of each starting and shutting this unforgettable story.

8 Danny Ocean

‘Ocean’s’ Franchise

First performed by the legendary Frank Sinatra in Lewis Milestone‘s 1960 heist movie Ocean’s 11, and later by George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh‘s Ocean’s trilogy, Danny Ocean is among the coolest characters of the heist style. Ocean’s Eleven is a couple of gangster rounding up a band of associates to stage an elaborate on line casino heist, which includes robbing three Vegas casinos concurrently throughout a boxing occasion.

There are loads of the reason why Ocean’s Eleven tends to be thought of one among one of the best heist films of the twenty first century, and although neither the unique nor the sequels really reside as much as it, that is nonetheless an exceptional and considerably underrated franchise. Slick, charming, and liable to taking dangers which can be all the time assured to please the viewers, Danny Ocean is as superior as crime movie protagonists come.

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7 Aladdin

‘Aladdin’ (1992)

People on the lookout for a feel-good film to cheer them up once they’re feeling underneath the climate needn’t look additional than a gem from Disney Animation’s Renaissance period. Of course, among the best amongst them is Aladdin, impressed by The Thousand and One Nights. It’s the story of a poor road urchin named Aladdin, who spends his time stealing meals from the market. His luck all of the sudden adjustments when he meets a lovely younger woman, and later finds a magical lamp containing a genie that’ll grant him three needs.

Romantic, uplifting, and stuffed with enchanting magic, Aladdin is one among Disney’s most stunning animated classics. The protagonist is among the most charming and well-written princes within the House of Mouse’s library, with stunning ethical ambiguities that make him a way more complicated character than one might imagine. But although he is a slippery thief at first of the movie, his journey of development is one which’s nothing if not entertaining.

6 Dom Cobb

‘Inception’ (2010)

(*10*)

At this level, it seems like Inception, which can simply be Christopher Nolan‘s hottest movie, would not want a lot of an introduction. This exhilarating motion epic is a couple of thief who steals company secrets and techniques utilizing dream-sharing expertise. One day, he is given the duty of doing the reverse: Using his gadget to plan an thought within the thoughts of a robust magnate, however his tragic previous places the mission and his staff in danger.

With among the coolest visuals and most entertaining combat sequences in Nolan’s filmography, in addition to one among one of the best scores of Hans Zimmer’s profession, Inception is a legendary spectacle. Its protagonist, Dom Cobb, is among the most complicated and compelling in any Nolan movie. His tragic backstory could not have a lot layeredness to it, however with an actor nearly as good as Leonardo DiCaprio enjoying the half with such emotion and power, it is exhausting to go unsuitable.

5 Bilbo Baggins

‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy

Back at first of the twenty first century, New Zealand director Peter Jackson shocked the entire world along with his unexpectedly flawless adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Legendarium in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sometime later, he launched a prequel trilogy. Though The Hobbit movies aren’t practically nearly as good as their three predecessors, they’re nonetheless far above the overwhelming majority of fantasy films being made at present. They inform the story of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who’s unexpectedly snatched into an journey led by a gaggle of dwarves that means to reclaim their homeland from the dragon that hijacked it a few years prior.

Bilbo is extra of a burglar than a thief, actually (a minimum of formally), however semantics do not matter a lot when a specific shiny object he steals turns into the pivotal occasion that kicks off the start of the top of Middle-earth’s Third Age. Courageous, but weak; type, but imperfect; and performed tremendously effectively by Martin Freeman on the prime of his sport, Bilbo is the right protagonist for such an entertaining collection of movies. He is probably not one among Middle-earth’s strongest heroes, however he certain is one among its most beneficial.

4 Harry and Marv

‘Home Alone’ (1990)

An iconic Christmas basic the ultimate, Home Alone is a constantly enjoyable watch it doesn’t matter what time of the 12 months one is watching it at. It’s about eight-year-old Kevin, a troublemaker who’s mistakenly left house alone after his household leaves for a protracted vacation. So, he is his house’s final line of protection when a pair of burglars break in on Christmas Eve.

One of few household films which can be genuinely near perfection, Home Alone is each touching and kooky, each humorous and surprisingly effectively crafted, with two of the funniest villains in film historical past. One should not underestimate Harry and Marv’s thieving skills; in any case, they had been dealing with off in opposition to cinema’s most terrifying one-boy military. Their shenanigans are stuffed with unbelievable slapstick moments, and Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern‘s performances are so excellent that these characters stand out as two of one of the best elements of Home Alone.

3 Sonny Wortzik

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

It was with Sidney Lumet‘s Dog Day Afternoon that the long-lasting Al Pacino ended what is likely to be the best three-year streak of any actor ever (Lumet’s Serpico in 1973, The Godfather Part II in 1974, after which this gem). It’s about three novice financial institution robbers planning a pleasant, easy financial institution heist. However, the supposedly uncomplicated theft all of the sudden turns into a weird nightmare as all the pieces that might presumably go unsuitable goes unsuitable.

The movie was impressed by a wild true story, however is not totally factual — illustrated by the truth that Sonny Wortzik wasn’t an actual particular person, and was really solely impressed by the actual thief of the story, John Wojtowicz. Pacino performs the half masterfully, imbuing him with complexity and persona. He is probably not a very good particular person, however in Pacino and Lumet’s knowledgeable fingers, he is surprisingly sympathetic and endearing.

2 Neil McCauley

‘Heat’ (1995)

Filmmaker Michael Mann is well-known for his distinctive method to storytelling and masterful directing method, but in all of his illustrious profession, he is by no means been capable of prime what most individuals would agree is his masterpiece: Heat. It’s an engrossing character drama with crime motion style tropes in its DNA, telling the story of a gaggle of high-end skilled thieves beginning to really feel the warmth from the LAPD after a horrible slip-up at their newest top.

This is a slow-burning cop drama at coronary heart, however with motion scenes so thrilling, suspense so efficient, character work so intricate, and performances so spectacular that it is not possible to take one’s eyes off the display at any level through the journey. Robert De Niro is outstanding as Neil McCauley, the chief of the gang of thieves. He’s as a lot the villain of the story as he’s the co-protagonist, embodying the movie’s themes of redemption, corruption, and the joys of the chase. Written so exceptionally and carried out so flawlessly by De Niro, McCauley may be among the best characters within the historical past of cinema.

1 Robin Hood

‘Robin Hood’ Movies

There aren’t many thief characters extra legendary than the Prince of Thieves. Of course, it is Robin Hood, a legendary heroic outlaw from English folklore who steals from the wealthy and offers to the poor. It’s a personality archetype that is turn into endlessly influential in films, however it began right here: with a vigilante that is been the topic of dozens upon dozens of diversifications of various high quality.

You have your Russell Crowe Robin Hoods and your Erroll Flynn Robin Hoods, your Kevin Costner Robin Hoods and your Cary Elwes Robin Hoods. The character is not all the time significantly effectively written, however that is exactly the appeal and magic of films about characters within the public area: They could make them humorous or epic, complicated or one-dimensional, motion heroes or dashing romantic leads. That’s actually the case with Robin Hood, essentially the most iconic—and greatest—thief character in all of cinema.

NEXT:Heist Movies That Are Almost Perfect, Ranked