REVIEW - 'Den of Thieves' (2018)

“Den of Thieves” is a 2018 crime/drama that follows a gang of thieves as they plan the biggest heist of their lives. The plot follows their attempt to rob the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Los Angeles, and the Sherriff Dept.’s elite unit that is trying to stop them. The film is written, directed, and produced by Christian Gudegast and is Gudegast’s directorial debut. It stars Gerard Butler, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evan Jones, Dawn Olivieri, Mo McRae, and Max Holloway.

The opening scene follows an armored truck in L.A. driving by several banks all located on the same street. This was one of my favorite shots of the film—especially with what you’re learning as it continues. On-screen text gives facts about how often bank robberies occur in the city—about nine times a day. This makes L.A. the bank robbery capital of the world.

The film then immediately pulls us into “Den of Thieves'” first heist; it’s a deadly one, which shows the gang of thieves do not hold back and are trained in combat. We then mete t key mastermind of the gang, Ray Merrimen, portrayed by Pablo Schreiber; we learn is a Veteran, as are a few more of the members on his team. At the scene of the crime we meet Detective Nicholas O’Brien (Gerard Butler), who leads the group of detectives who want to take Merrimen’s gang down.

O’Brien tries to find the weak link of the crew and finally focuses on Donnie Wilson, portrayed by Oshea Jackson Jr., who is the new member of the group, a bartender, and one of the very few that did not serve in the military. He tries to get information out of him but learns that he doesn’t know as much as he expected. However, he continues to taunt Donnie, which leads Merrimen’s crew to believe Donnie is an informant.

The film follows both teams, so it doesn’t follow just one character throughout the 140 minute long movie. You get to see their personal lives and what their position is within each group. There are a few scenes in their personal lives that aren’t really relevant; however, it could just be an attempt to give a little more outside depth to the character. But ultimately it sort of feels like a loose end that could have been omitted from the film. “Den of Thieves” is edited so that you are watching what’s going on on both ends of the planning and preparation for the heist, both investigation wise and action wise.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Curtis Jackson in “Den of Thieves.” Photo: STX Films, 2018.

We witness the back and forth with O’Brien and Merrimen as they antagonize one another and try to be a step ahead. The dialogue in the film is fantastic, and Butler’s delivery is spot on, making his lines the most entertaining. I was not sure what to expect out of Schreiber, since the last time I saw him, he was portraying ‘George “Pornstache” Mendez’ in “Orange is the New Black,” a corrupt Corrections Officer with perverted tendencies. However, he gives a great performance as Merrimen and steals the scene every time he is on camera. You cannot help but want to see him lead his team to pull off the heist in its entirety.

Curtis Jackson also gives an exceptional performance. He acts scenes where his character was anxious, nervous, or in a hurry very believably; he makes the audience feel they are experiencing it as well. Throughout the film he is the character you find yourself rooting for, yet you have no idea how this will all end for him.

The setup for the “Den of Thieves’” climax is the first half of the movie; and though it feels longer than it actually is, the last hour makes up for the wait. It shows high energy, action, and intense situations as the heist rolls out. The ending has a very unexpected twist that makes the first two hours worth sitting through. It made me excited and curious for the film’s sequel, which is currently in pre-production.

*”Den of Thieves” is currently available to watch on most streaming platforms.