In the long history of Robin Hood adaptations, and other works inspired by the legendary folk hero, few have met the moment quite like How to Rob a Bank. The new heist film from director David Leitch (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy) and screenwriter Mark Bianculli, who cut his teeth on TV, is a wild, anti-capitalist ride, and a helluva fun action comedy movie. It perfectly captures the anger of the current moment, even with its very obvious gimmicks.
What sets How to Rob a Bank apart from other heist movies is the social media aspect of the film’s main characters. They’re not just robbing banks, they’re becoming influencers, with viral videos revealing how to successfully replicate their methods. The videos themselves, which play throughout the movie, are a bit like if Mr. Beast decided to get politically conscious and become a criminal, but are smartly woven into the script—and pay off in the well-executed finale.
The plot of How to Rob a Bank is actually quite simple. A crew of desperate young people, led by Ryan aka the Wolf (Nicholas Hoult), start robbing banks while growing a social media following, which gets them noticed by the FBI. Ryan and his friends—played by Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz and Pete Davidson—are working toward a big finale while trying to escape capture at the hands of FBI Agent West (John C. Reilly), who’s enlisted the help of Reagan Gardner (Zoë Kravitz), and a program she created to help locate people using social media.
It’s essentially a game of cat-and-mouse between the robbers and the FBI, and Bianculli’s script does an effective enough job of explaining why each of the characters believe what they’re doing is right, even if the movie inevitably sides with Ryan’s crew. There’s a tricky needle to thread with Agent West especially, who could very easily become a caricature of a cop, but between the script and Reilly’s humanizing performance, he’s instead a worthy adversary of the bank robbers, one who’s also trying to look out for the same people they want to help.
But what’s so compelling about Ryan’s crew is that they aren’t simply in it for the money. Their ultimate plan is part revenge, part revolution, and How to Rob a Bank is incredibly unsubtle in its anti-capitalistic rhetoric. The first few videos Ryan makes as the Wolf talk about how much more likely it is for the majority to live in poverty than become millionaires, and explain that their thievery is a way to balance the scales. It’s not the most complex criticism of capitalism, but it’s effective in its incisiveness.
The anti-capitalist themes of the movie may be simplified, but they expertly meet the current moment, when U.S. Americans are struggling with affordability while the rich become even richer. How to Rob a Bank is all the more powerful because it’s releasing in the same year that Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire. While the movie’s rhetoric is specifically aimed against banks, it’s ultimately about holding those that profit off the pain of others accountable, which will strike a chord with average audiences.
Plus, How to Rob a Bank is just plain fun. Its political themes are simplified because this is a heist movie, first and foremost. It’s meant to entertain, not educate—and, for what it’s worth, Leitch’s new movie is wildly entertaining. Leitch has made a name for himself in Hollywood for his action scenes, and How to Rob a Bank delivers plenty of grounded, visceral and engaging action sequences. With each robbery, Leitch raises the stakes, until the grand finale, which delivers a decently clever heist and plenty of spectacle.
But what truly sells How to Rob a Bank is Hoult’s charm and deft performance. As the Wolf, Hoult is the energetic, Mr. Beast-type influencer, who’s able to rally a following. Then as Ryan, Hoult trades in the showmanship of his online persona for the quiet grief of his character. He’s well-paired with Anna Sawai, who plays his partner, and the two bring a hint of romance to the movie, even as they infuse their characters’ tragic story with the emotion it requires to feel real.
Pete Davidson and Rhenzy Feliz round out the main cast of robbers, and are actually an excellent comedic duo. Feliz’s character is a bit underdeveloped, but he has some sweet moments with his family and neighbors that give us a peak at who he is. Davidson is another standout alongside Hoult and John C. Reilly. He plays the type of character one might expect from the SNL alum, but Davidson brings a great deal of depth to the role, and while the script doesn’t quite land the emotion of his big moment, the actor is excellent.
Ultimately, How to Rob a Bank is a bit like if Keanu Reeves’ lead hero in John Wick, with his thinly sketched tragic origin story, became a Robin Hood type of bank robber, with the social media following of Mr. Beast. It’s a premise that sounds absurd on paper, but works well on the big screen. The action is grounded and realistic, while still being entertaining and spectacular, and the politics of the movie strike the right chord for the moment.
Altogether, Bianculli’s script, Leitch’s direction and the actors’ performances deliver a delightful action comedy that’s worth the price of admission. While it isn’t necessarily a must-see movie, nor is theatrical viewing required, it’s worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested, and seeing it on the big screen will only make for a more enjoyable experience. Basically, How to Rob a Bank is a guaranteed good time at the movies.
- Release Date
-
November 13, 2026
- Runtime
-
122 Minutes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
