Honest Thief

Name: Honest Thief
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime
Released: October 16, 2020
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 46
Cast: Adam Teper, Anthony Ramos, Birol Tarkan Yildiz, Devon Diep, Herlin Navarro

2020

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Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 50 Ratings

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6.0

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Honest Thief

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Movie Details & Credits

Open Road Films | Release Date: October 16, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Adam Teper, Anthony Ramos, Birol Tarkan Yildiz, Devon Diep, Herlin Navarro, Jai Courtney, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Jeffrey Donovan, Jose Guns Alves, Kate Walsh, Liam Neeson, Patty O'Neil, Robert Patrick, Tazzie

Summary: Wanting to lead an honest life, a notorious bank robber (Liam Neeson) turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.

Director: Mark Williams

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 99 min

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Critic Reviews

Alonso Duralde

Oct 13, 2020

As “solidly senior Liam Neeson kicks ass” vehicles go, Honest Thief falls firmly in the middle, nowhere near the heights of “Taken” but well above the depths of “Taken 3.” Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Oct 16, 2020

It’s a subdued, at times even intimate, old-guy action flick. And that streamlined, bare-bones quality serves the film well. Mostly. Read full review

The Guardian Ellen E Jones

Oct 28, 2020

This film’s real propulsive, emotional motor is nothing to do with a woman, but rather the age-old entanglement of lawman and outlaw. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Oct 13, 2020

It’s a movie about a movie star taking out the trash, leaving behind a lower body count than usual, but executing his duties faithfully, and with a predictable dash — the right kind of predictable — of world-weary charisma. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Oct 16, 2020

By the standards of Liam Neeson thrillers (and there are a lot from which to choose), Honest Thief is pretty weak tea, a passable, low-octane action movie that doesn't do much more than steal one's time. Like second-tier John Wayne westerns, Neeson offers enough of what his fans want, but a thin script and stilted dialogue make the battle harder than usual. Read full review

Michael Ordona

Oct 16, 2020

It’s one of those pseudo-thrillers with car chases and shootouts in which it’s hard to invest yourself because its rules seem fungible. Read full review

Mark Kennedy

Oct 13, 2020

Honest Thief, co-written and directed by Mark Williams, is a predictable and slack affair, relying on eerie music, dark sets and smoke to create tension. There is no particular set of skills here. Read full review

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User Reviews

jeffw38

Oct 17, 2020

Don’t pay the critics any mind. Just walked out of theater ten minutes ago. This was a very good film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Had a little bit of everything. Good guys, bad guys, action scenes, pretty girl...

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Iamcritical86

Aug 21, 2021

Maybe some folks didn't like this picture but I thought it was a helluva lot better than some of the other train wrecks that the motion picture industry has been throwing at us over these past couple of years or so! It fell a little flat in a couple of spots and it's not the greatest filmMaybe some folks didn't like this picture but I thought it was a helluva lot better than some of the other train wrecks that the motion picture industry has been throwing at us over these past couple of years or so! It fell a little flat in a couple of spots and it's not the greatest film ever made, but I rather enjoyed it nonetheless - it kept me interested for the most part.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

twall3

Nov 21, 2020

Didn't really want to see this film. Got a sense from critics and the low score on this site that it was not so good. However, when we learned that the government was closing movie theaters in our state again, we went to this movie just to see SOMETHING in the theater before they closed. WasDidn't really want to see this film. Got a sense from critics and the low score on this site that it was not so good. However, when we learned that the government was closing movie theaters in our state again, we went to this movie just to see SOMETHING in the theater before they closed. Was pleasantly surprised. Every character (even the bad ones) were likable and relatable. Good FBI agent was very cool. Was stressful in the fun sense of riding an amusement park ride - you know everything is going to be ok, but you enjoy the built-in thrills. Decent love story written in. Overall enjoyable!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Ralfbergs

Dec 13, 2020

It was ok. I just felt the action didn't have much to it and the plot was kind of very predictable, that's why I am rating it at 6 not higher.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

moviemitch96

Oct 27, 2020

In this action flick, Liam Neeson stars as a seasoned bank robber, who, after meeting and falling in love with a woman, decides to turn himself in and surrender the millions of dollars he's stolen over the years, with the hopes of receiving a reduced prison sentence so that he can beIn this action flick, Liam Neeson stars as a seasoned bank robber, who, after meeting and falling in love with a woman, decides to turn himself in and surrender the millions of dollars he's stolen over the years, with the hopes of receiving a reduced prison sentence so that he can be released earlier and happily spend the rest of his days with her. However, things unfortunately don't go so smoothly, as he's set up and framed for murder by two corrupt and greedy FBI agents hoping to keep the money for themselves, and he finds himself on the run as he sets out to prove his innocence. At this point, most of us know by now that Neeson's no stranger to these types of action flicks ever since 'Taken' redefined him as an action star over a decade ago. And while you could make the argument that most of his films are pretty formulaic and predictable (which, spoiler alert, this film is no exception to), there's no denying that there's something so satisfying and fun about seeing him take names and kick ass. That being said however, it really does appear as though the usual formula of his films may truly be wearing thin, and I have to straight up say that this is one of his weakest films yet for various reasons. For starters, the whole thing is just so predictable. Plot points and even certain lines and moments I could see coming from a mile away. A lot of the dialogue I found to be ridiculous and laughable as well. Furthermore, the film's action surprisingly takes a while to kick in, with quite a bit of dragging with the setup in the first act. Unfortunately, the dragging continues throughout much of the film, with only a few truly memorable action moments, but even those are relatively short. To cap it all off, the film's end feels overly sappy and is seemingly tied up in a nice and satisfying little bow, which just didn't quite sit right with me. Overall, Neeson's still plenty entertaining to watch, but I fear as though his action star days are starting to overstay their welcome at this point.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

SoulWarfare

Dec 20, 2020

Honestly, I am a sucker for Liam Neeson action flicks. Yeah, they are dumb or over the top but at least it is entertaining with its ridiculous action set pieces. Honest Thief is the next in the list of Liam Neeson's action movie résumé. The premise is "Hoping to cut a deal, a professionalHonestly, I am a sucker for Liam Neeson action flicks. Yeah, they are dumb or over the top but at least it is entertaining with its ridiculous action set pieces. Honest Thief is the next in the list of Liam Neeson's action movie résumé. The premise is "Hoping to cut a deal, a professional bank robber agrees to return all the money he stole in exchange for a reduced sentence. But when two FBI agents set him up for murder, he must now go on the run to clear his name and bring them to justice". Does this movie hit the mark or did it steal my time that I won't get back?

Firstly, Liam Neeson is still great to watch with his gravelly voice and the fact that despite his age he is still throwing convincing punches. Tom Dolan (Liam Neeson) is the centre of this movie and for the most part, is a decent character to watch. Annie Wilkins (Kate Walsh) who is Tom's love interest and the girl that makes him give up robbing banks is okay as well. The moments between the two are quite sweet to watch and there is some chemistry there that we the audience can invest in. The premise is also mildly interesting despite being kind of cliche. It's another action movie where someone is framed for something they didn't do and they have to prove themselves. Ironically, Liam Neeson has done movies like this already such as "Non-stop" and "The Commuter". However, there are some bits and pieces in there that could make the movie interesting such as him being framed by corrupt cops and that he Tom isn't a badass murderer. The first half of the movie is also pretty enjoyable because it spends time on its characters. It develops the backstory of the characters, their relationships and individual quirks. The movie doesn't just develop the main leads but also the veteran cops and the corrupt cops as well. It is quite refreshing to see. There is also this running gag with wisecracking veteran agent Meyers (Jeffrey Donovan) and the adorable scruffy dog he inherited from his recent divorce. It's a shame the second half decides to abandon all of the interest in the characters. The movie becomes a more generic action movie with boring car chases, not spectacular fistfights and some mediocre shoot outs. What could have been complicated characters, become just generic and one-note characters. An example is one of the corrupt cops Nivens (Jai Courtney) who makes a good point about taking the money that the audience might agree with but then becomes generic evil greedy dude. The movie is just incredibly predictable and all the suspenseful moments such as the shady dealings aren't as impactful as it should be. I would have probably liked the movie more if the action scenes were at least visually pleasing to watch but it isn't. Additionally, there some are weird choices made by characters that are just really silly and can take you out of the movie. For example, a character has been shot repeatedly which the main character Tom saw. Instead of checking if he is still okay or calling a hospital he instead decides to do a phone call first right next to a dying or dead person. It's a weird director decision and it just makes the character seem weird. Overall, the movie is just very mediocre. There is something interesting buried within this movie with characters dealing with guilt and personal responsibility but they are unfortunately not explored. Furthermore, the action scenes are boring and not that exciting. This is what makes the movie disappointing as the pieces for a stronger movie are there but not utilised. If you like Liam Neeson then there is worth watching it for him alone but you want a fun action movie then this isn't it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

vectrexer

Nov 10, 2020

A tired rehash of this theme, an Honest Thief is so predictable as to lose it entertainment value. While the movie relies on its stars to fill roles in a way familiar to all from their other past roles, there is little creativity in the way the stars are used. Honest Thief not the worst ofA tired rehash of this theme, an Honest Thief is so predictable as to lose it entertainment value. While the movie relies on its stars to fill roles in a way familiar to all from their other past roles, there is little creativity in the way the stars are used. Honest Thief not the worst of its genre, And might be okay as a value proposition for a streaming platform inclusion. But I was disappointed in Honest Thief as an experience for my return to a theater experience. But at least the popcorn was good.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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