There’s one simple way to describe how watching How to Rob a Bank feels. That exact feeling when you drink an energy drink, get a blast of energy and then, hours later, immediately crash. Now, David Leitch doesn’t deliver either a bad film or a good film. He creates a movie that’s simply just okay but bordering on that good territory. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had watching a film all year for various reasons, but with Leitch being one of my favourite modern directors, I was expecting a lot more out of How to Rob a Bank, and unfortunately, it felt like it didn’t deliver on all fronts as effectively as it could’ve.
How to Rob a Bank follows a crew of thieves that use social media to showcase their bank heists while also teaching their followers how to rob banks efficiently and get away with it as a form of activism in hopes of leading to a rebellion against the capitalist scum who steal our money until we’re dry. They end up in the radar of an FBI agent who recruits the help of a cybercriminal to assist them in finding out the whereabouts of the thieves.
With us being a week out of release for the most anticipated video game of the decade, Grand Theft Auto VI, it’s hard not to catch similarities between what we know of that game and Leitch’s heist film. If you’re someone that’s extremely looking forward to that game, such as myself, this is without a doubt the movie you should be watching this weekend, whether that’s alone or with some friends. It’s filled with high-speed car chases, explosions, and a Bonnie and Clyde story at the core of its messaging, which is about how greedy corporations continue to take money and create debts from people who are less fortunate. If this isn’t enough to sell you on the movie, then there might be something else that will.
David Leitch cleverly uses social media as a way not only to engage with and relate to the audience that’s likely to be watching this film but also to use it as a device in the movie to spread an agenda and get the word out. How to Rob a Bank is a modern-day Robin Hood film, and within that regard, it works excellently. Leitch has his foot on the gas for almost the entire runtime of the movie but knows when to hit the brakes and let the more emotional, slower, human moments land, which surprisingly makes them effective in a movie that feels like you’re on a sugar rush. What’s unfortunate is that not every character is given that same sentiment. Despite there not being that many members of the crew, there are some members that, although they feel important and the film likes to remind you that they’re part of the team, are so irrelevant to the film that I fail to remember their names, such as Vince’s (Pete Davidson) army mate.
It’s an odd move because the performances in this film genuinely aren’t bad, and Pete Davidson delivers what might be his most convincing best performance yet in a movie. While we get to see how action-packed their lives are, with the stylistic editing making it look like a hoot, when you bring down that layer of social media, these characters are dealing with hard lives that have caused them to join Ryan’s (Nicholas Hoult) heist crew.
Although some of the backstories for these characters are more convincing than others. Vince is hiding a secret that later affects the crew and their chase with the FBI, but he’s also got a wife and a kid that he loves so much, as we see him sing together with them to help them sleep. It’s a cute moment that reminds you that these characters aren’t simply criminals or thieves, but they’re human, and they have flaws. It’s a scene that has you sit down and think, “Who are the good guys and bad guys in this story?” as Leitch doesn’t directly provide an antagonist for the film, which helps the movie go a long way.
One of the less convincing backstories comes from Hugo (Rhenzy Felix), the social media manager/hacker of the group. When it comes to technology, he’s your guy. The most that we get with Hugo is that he’s trying to support his family, which is the sole reason for doing this, and unfortunately, despite it being unfortunate the hand his family is dealt, it’s a backstory that’s quickly brushed through, and that leads to his conclusion not being as strong as Vince’s or Ryan and Emi’s (Anna Sawai).
Ryan and Emi are the Bonnie and Clyde of How to Rob a Bank as they set up this entire operation. It’s hard to talk about their motives for beginning this crew without getting into spoilers, but they’re the core heart of this film. What lets such talented actors such as Nicholas Hoult and Anna Sawai down is that the script is half-baked. It refuses to care enough for its characters, which then ends up having them come across as shallow and one-dimensional. Then, when the film does decide to have a decent moment, it’s ruined by the needle drops that take you out of any immersion that existed. The most frustrating part about How to Rob a Bank is that the stylistic decision to make it feel like you’re constantly scrolling with social media videos leads you to believe that the humour for the film would match the chaotic style of the film, but it completely lacks in the comedy department.
Arguably, the two best characters of the film are FBI agent John West (John C. Reilly) and Reagan (Zoë Kravitz). The two characters are fun to follow, and their dynamic is what helps to keep this film engaging, as they have their back and forth, grow within their relationship, and tackle this case together. There was some worry that with the film already being cliche as it was, Reagan was going to fall under another trope, but thankfully Leitch avoids that altogether, giving the two characters a satisfying conclusion despite there not being any real character arc with them to follow, which seems to be a recurring theme with How to Rob a Bank. Without Reilly and Kravitz’s inclusion in this film, it genuinely would’ve been a bore to watch and led more into that style over substance, which it was already leaning over to.
The characters within How to Rob a Bank ultimately aren’t nearly as strong as the film’s messaging, which is where you begin to see the cracks within the entire structure that Leitch has built here. It’s hilarious because unlike The Fall Guy and Bullet Train, which are movies I absolutely adore and can watch over and over again, they’re also extremely over the top and sometimes ridiculous, but How to Rob a Bank is his most grounded and relatable film yet but somehow doesn’t stick the landing. It’s not a film that I’d completely skip out on; it’s worth the watch, but unlike Leitch’s previous two films, it doesn’t demand a rewatch and is arguably forgettable.
