Looking for a movie to watch tonight? Check out ‘Den of Thieves’ on Max!

The first major movie release in 2025 that is not a follow-up to a limited 2024 release is set to debut on January 10th under the title Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. The mere mention of Den of Thieves 2 may excite some movie enthusiasts while leaving others wondering about the original film. Den of Thieves was released seven years ago in January 2018, staying in the top five box office rankings for just one week with a domestic gross of $45 million, placing it between Acrimony and Red Sparrow. Despite being overshadowed by several other 2018 movies in the United States, including Overboard, Tag, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, it surprisingly earned a sequel. The sequel, Den of Thieves 2, starring Gerard Butler and 50 Cent, is garnering attention as a noteworthy film for fans of crime movies and Gerry Butler’s work. Its increasing popularity on streaming services indicates a growing interest in the movie.

Why watch Den of Thieves tonight?

Heist movies have a special place in the hearts of many audiences, and Den of Thieves falls into this category. Although it has similarities to the movie Heat, which is classified as a “Los Angeles crime saga,” rather than a typical heist film. Notably, Den of Thieves has been likened to Heat, drawing comparisons to its storyline involving a veteran thief and a determined cop. In Thieves, Gerard Butler assumes the role akin to the cop played by Al Pacino in Heat, adding a unique twist to the narrative with Pablo Schreiber portraying the veteran thief role. The inclusion of O’Shea Jackson Jr. and 50 Cent in pivotal roles further intensifies the dynamics of the movie’s storyline.

One of the clever aspects of the film is Schreiber’s character taking the lead role but steering the storyline towards a more heist-oriented direction. Jackson’s character, as a driver associated with Butler’s crew, becomes central to the unfolding drama. The movie’s attempt to broaden its scope, exceeding a two-hour runtime, sometimes leads to meandering storytelling. Unlike Heat, which masterfully explores compelling side characters and intricate personal lives, Den of Thieves delves into subplots like Butler’s divorce narrative, which feels somewhat disconnected. Additionally, the criminal side of the story incorporates unsettling moments, such as 50 Cent’s character menacing his daughter’s date, reminiscent of a scene from Bad Boys II. This divergence from Heat‘s nuanced storytelling raises questions about the direction taken by writer-turned-director Christian Gudegast in expanding the movie’s narrative.

Yet that does become part of the movie’s charm; while these moments aren’t as rich in atmosphere as similar, less stupid scenes in Heat, they do give a sense of what these characters are up to in between all of the heist-planning and automatic-weapon shooting. Moreover, there’s classic heist-picture style to the way that certain crucial information is withheld and doled out; the most familiar cop-movie shtick gives way to some genuine cleverness in the second half, while staying grounded enough to feel at least vaguely believable.

At the center is Butler as “Big Nick” O’Brien, one of his best roles because it really leans into his coarseness in a way that becomes strangely likable – maybe because Big Nick, unlike his Heat counterpart, doesn’t seem tortured by his job. Mostly, he seems to genuinely enjoy it. It’s everything else he has trouble with. Not the most original crime-movie conceit, but one that Butler plays especially well, and if Schreiber doesn’t exactly counter with a similar joy of performance, Jackson’s presence is winning enough to compensate. He has a driver-demo scene that plays like a Fast & Furious audition that didn’t quite pan out, and in a lot of ways Den of Thieves also resembles that series with a somewhat different ratio of crime-movie juice, B-picture sincerity, and action absurdity. Also like a Fast entry, it would have been perfectly at home at a late 1950s drive-in. Streaming it at home can be the next-best thing.

Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts at www.sportsalcohol.com, too.

Watch Den of Thieves on Max