Honest Thief (2020)

Honest Thief (2020)

 

5/10

Starring

Liam Neeson

Kate Walsh

Jai Courtney

Jeffrey Donovan

Directed by Mark Williams

Honest Thief isn’t a superb film—it’s the same formula we’ve seen played out by different casts. These kinds of movies may start differently, but they all seem to fall into the same pattern by the second act.

This one is about an aging bank robber deciding to turn over a new leaf. And, of course, the reason is predictable: he met a woman. I guess the writers ran out of other motivations for a criminal to reform, so they went with the classic cliché. The movie proceeds in a way you’d expect once the key players are introduced, save for one unexpected death. Aside from that, everything else about the plot is easy to guess as soon as the antagonists are revealed.

Liam Neeson gives an average performance as Tom, a former Marine with expertise in explosives. He’s become the go-to action-thriller actor, playing roles where his “special set of skills” inevitably come into play when things go south. Unfortunately, nothing major stands out in this film—not the writing, which has noticeable plot holes, nor the directing, acting, or editing. Even the effects felt below par for a movie of this kind.

The story begins with Tom’s life as a bank robber. He’s so good at his craft that the media nicknamed him the “In-and-Out Bandit.” But his criminal career takes a turn when he meets Annie (Katie Walsh) while looking for a place to stash his stolen cash. Sparks fly, and after a year of dating, they’re planning to move in together.

Tom decides he can’t build a new life with Annie without atoning for his past crimes. So, he calls the FBI to confess, hoping to negotiate a reduced sentence. However, the agents don’t take him seriously—apparently, they’ve received numerous calls from people falsely claiming to be the infamous bandit. Still, they assign two agents to investigate.

When the agents meet Tom, they’re skeptical—his story sounds too far-fetched. But when he directs them to the stash of stolen cash, their interest piques. This is where the movie shifts into familiar territory. The agents decide to keep the money for themselves and attempt to eliminate Tom. But things don’t go as planned. Tom escapes after witnessing the agents commit murder to cover their tracks, and what follows is a chase that feels predictable at every turn.

In the end, Honest Thief feels like a B-movie—something to watch on a lazy Sunday, which is exactly how I caught it. While it’s not terrible, it’s not particularly memorable either.