‘How to Rob a Bank’ Review: Heist Humor Worthy of TikTok
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- "How to Rob a Bank" is a blend of tragedy and comedy that follows a Pittsburgh group turning bank robbery into a social media influencer phenomenon, drawing comparisons to the infamous Willie Sutton.
- The gang, led by Ryan (Nicholas Hoult) known as the Wolf, uses creative disguises and posts videos of their crimes online, mixing instructional content with celebratory posts to build a large following.
- The film centers on a cat-and-mouse pursuit by an FBI team led by John West (John C. Reilly) and software engineer Reagan Gardner (Zoë Kravitz), though the tone and casting choices sometimes feel mismatched.
- Directed by David Leitch and written by Mark Bianculli, the movie shines when allowing its cast freedom to explore their roles, with characters like Vince (Pete Davidson) and Hugo (Rhenzy Feliz) adding depth through their backstories.
- While some visual storytelling is effective, the film occasionally overreaches emotionally, introducing sentiment it does not fully earn, resulting in a fitfully entertaining but messy narrative.
