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Thief

Thief

Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.

19817.22h 3m

Overview

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

Directed by Michael Mann
Written by Michael Mann, Frank Hohimer
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Ronnie Caan
Box OfficeBudget: $5.5MRevenue: $11.5M

Top Cast

James Caan

James Caan

Frank

Tuesday Weld

Tuesday Weld

Jessie

Robert Prosky

Robert Prosky

Leo Alderman

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

David 'Okla' Bertinneau

Jim Belushi

Jim Belushi

Barry Stratagakis

Tom Signorelli

Tom Signorelli

Vincent Attaglia

Dennis Farina

Dennis Farina

Carl

N

Nick Nickeas

Nick

W

W.R. Brown

Mitch Kanoff

N

Norm Tobin

Guido

Themes & Keywords

chicago, illinoisbased on novel or bookshadowingloss of loved oneburglargangstercar dealerrainidealistsafeerrorthiefdirty copconvictdiamond heistex-consafecrackerpolice surveillanceneo-noirprovocativeviolencesuspensefulcriticalambiguousassertiveawestruckcommandingharsh

About Thief

Thief is a crime, thriller, drama film released in 1981 exploring themes of chicago, illinois, based on novel or book, shadowing, loss of loved one, burglar, gangster. Directed by Michael Mann, it stars James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky. Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

Movies Similar to Thief

Discover titles like Thief — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Thief

If you enjoyed Thief, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Thief.

Heat
31% Match

Heat(1995)

Movie7.9/10

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

Sexy Beast
26% Match

Sexy Beast(2001)

Movie7.0/10

Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.

Primal Fear
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Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.

Layer Cake
24% Match

Layer Cake(2004)

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When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

Public Enemies
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Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger's charm and audacity endear him to much of America's downtrodden public, but he's also a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover and the fledgling FBI. Desperate to capture the elusive outlaw, Hoover makes Dillinger his first Public Enemy Number One and assigns his top agent, Melvin Purvis, the task of bringing him in dead or alive.

Gloria
22% Match

Gloria(1980)

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When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.

The Godfather
21% Match

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

The Outfit
21% Match

The Outfit(2022)

Movie7.1/10

Leonard is an English tailor who used to craft suits on London’s world-famous Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he’s ended up in Chicago, operating a small tailor shop in a rough part of town where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people around who can afford them: a family of vicious gangsters.

Robbery
21% Match

Robbery(1967)

Movie6.5/10

In this fictionalised account of the Great Train Robbery, career criminal Paul Clifton plans an audacious crime: the robbery of a mail train carrying millions in cash.

The Godfather Part III
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In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don, Michael Corleone seeks forgiveness for his sins while taking a young protege under his wing.

The Town
20% Match

The Town(2010)

Movie7.2/10

Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case.

The Departed
20% Match

To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.