Film Review: ‘How to Rob a Bank’ Makes it Difficult to Like and Subscribe

Maybe I’m getting old, but a surefire way to irritate me is to really lean into overly produced TikTok or YouTube videos. It’s just not a style I respond to, at all. So, I don’t have a TikTok and I mostly watch movie trailers and The West Wing clips on YouTube (I’m kidding, but not really). At the same time, that style being central to How to Rob a Bank intrigued me. Social media-savvy bank robbers? That’s different. Unfortunately, that’s about all of the thought that went into this film, as it’s all style over substance, lacking any nuance or complexity, despite a burning desire to be important. That’s what ultimately sinks this flick.

How to Rob a Bank is fun until it’s not, though that happens by the end of the first act. Then, it becomes a cliched and repetitive movie, one that only pretends to be going anywhere. There’s interestingly staged action and potential for complexity, but time and time again, the film takes the easy way out. Well before the climax, you’ve checked out, only occasionally being jarred into focus by the potential for things to pick up. Sadly, they never really do.

The film follows a crew of social media-savvy bank robbers, led by Ryan (Nicholas Hoult), who broadcast their daring heists, giving advice to the masses on pulling these jobs off. Ryan, alongside his partners (Pete Davidson, Rhenzy Feliz, and Anna Sawai), are activating the 99% against the top 1%, inspiring a movement, though their reasons for these bank robberies are far more personal than just societal change.

As their following grows, the group is initially unaware that their viral fame has put them in the crosshairs of veteran FBI agent West (John C. Reilly). Alongside brilliant software engineer Reagan Gardner (Zoë Kravitz), who created a unique tracking app, the unlikely duo begin closing in on the crew. When the robbers feel the pinch, they’ll need to put it all on the line if they want to achieve their goals, which includes an ambitious heist that risks not just the movement, but their lives as well.

Nicholas Hoult leads an overqualified cast given very little to do. The videos he’s in as the leader of the group are occasionally amusing, but when he has to give big statement monologues, especially in the back half of the film, the writing lets him down. Hoult can do a lot with a little, but even he can’t make this work. The same goes for John C. Reilly, who doesn’t get to be particularly fun, despite a witty remark or two. Zoë Kravitz is completely wasted, while Anna Sawai is little more than a plot device. In addition to Pete Davidson and Rhenzy Feliz, who don’t have much to do, the cast includes Tati Gabrielle, Christian Slater, and more.

Director David Leitch has the visual style to overcome the thin screenplay from Mark Bianculli, yet the commitment to TikTok/YouTube styling doesn’t pay off. In fact, Leitch utilizing the tricks during serious moments undercuts whatever emotion should be in those scenes, further putting the spotlight on where Bianculli comes up short. The action sequences are lively enough, but it’s cliche upon cliche, ultimately presenting a finale that wants to be seen as profound, when it’s actually little more than lazy.

How to Rob a Bank is entertaining at times, especially early on, but the disappointment comes in how the premise could have been turned into a complex and smart genre mashup. Instead, the flick is simple, never once daring to ask a question or challenge its audience. Everyone except the villain are wholly good, there’s never a bit of nuance to be found, and it all ends up feeling hollow. What should have been fun and interesting simply feels lazy and forgettable.

SCORE: ★★1/2