King of Thieves

Name: King of Thieves
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: January 25, 2019
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 48
Cast: Bernardo Santos, Charlie Cox, Francesca Annis, Jim Broadbent, Keely Cat Wells

2019

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Ratings

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5.8

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5.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Ratings

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King Of Thieves

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Movie Details & Credits

StudioCanal | Release Date: January 25, 2019 | R

Starring: Bernardo Santos, Charlie Cox, Francesca Annis, Jim Broadbent, Keely Cat Wells, Kellie Shirley, Martha Howe-Douglas, Michael Caine, Michael Gambon, Paul Whitehouse, Ray Winstone, Tom Courtenay

Summary: A crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist in London's jewelry district. What starts off as their last criminal hurrah quickly turns into a brutal nightmare due to greed. Based on infamous true events.

Director: James Marsh

Genre(s): Drama, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 108 min

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Critic Reviews

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Mar 29, 2022

This high-mileage/hard-mileage cast crackles and sells the conceit, that aged Brits — whom no one would suspect because Britain’s native-born criminal element long ago lost its initiative and its edge to “Albanians” and foreign imports — could pull this off. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Jan 30, 2019

Thieves feels oddly joyless — a mostly rote perp walk through the mechanics of unarmed robbery, sprinkled with occasional slapped-on signifiers of fun (wild camera angles, snazzy soundtrack, smash-cut flashbacks to Swinging London). Read full review

Gary Goldstein

Jan 24, 2019

If only this post-heist section had more tension, suspense and surprise, “King” could have been a real contender. Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Jan 23, 2019

The primary pleasure of James Marsh’s understated heist film is the opportunity to watch these icons go from mild-mannered pensioners to snarling, backstabbing hoods. That’s one of its shortcomings, too: We want more, and the picture never quite gives it to us. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Odie Henderson

Jan 25, 2019

The result invites confusion and ultimately indifference on the viewer’s part. When one character makes a joking reference to Alec Guinness’ brilliant Ealing comedy “The Lavender Hill Mob” the comparison does this film no favors. Read full review

Guy Lodge

Jan 24, 2019

As the film slackens its pace and shifts awkwardly from caper mode to sober moral deliberations, its one-note characters can’t quite carry it. Read full review

Katie Rife

Jan 23, 2019

Unlike "Gotti," King Of Thieves doesn’t have one iconic actor burning through decades’ worth of goodwill. It has six. Read full review

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User Reviews

RoccoCille

Feb 5, 2019

What do the stuck up critics expect from a movie like this? It's a nostalgic, tongue-in-cheek look at an old school crime of epic proportions by an old school generation. The result is a movie with a plenty of humour probably missed by them, it's subtle British humour embedded in theWhat do the stuck up critics expect from a movie like this? It's a nostalgic, tongue-in-cheek look at an old school crime of epic proportions by an old school generation. The result is a movie with a plenty of humour probably missed by them, it's subtle British humour embedded in the dialogue and the thieve's decript state, best shown by their recollections of driving around in high end performance car heists in the 60's and now turning up to a shed in a Vauxhall Astra estate.

If you don't get that, you won't get and appreciate the humour of the movie. Fine actors nearing the end of their career's mostly, a fascinating real life story that blew the minds of the world and especially a complacent London jewellery trade. I found the movie great fun, a laugh at age and how you can stick two fingers up at stereotypes relating to it and do something incredible (if also criminal). It's in some ways an inspiring movie in that sense, as well as hard to not root for them as anti-heroes because although you know you shouldn't, they're sympathetically portrayed.

Overall it's a thumbs up as an proper London heist movie with fun characters. Ignore the snobbish critics claiming it's "boring".. try listening to dialogue and watching character development and pay off, not expecting it all instantly. You're the same idiots that gave the dire "The Last Jedi" a near perfect score. Recommended.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Ralfbergs

Nov 26, 2020

This was quite crappy. And I actually thought it will be a funny movie. Maybe it is meant for also old people who will watch it too? Only gave it 3 because I managed to watch it all thinkin it will be get better or more interesting but it really felt just a bit weird. Like a local theatreThis was quite crappy. And I actually thought it will be a funny movie. Maybe it is meant for also old people who will watch it too? Only gave it 3 because I managed to watch it all thinkin it will be get better or more interesting but it really felt just a bit weird. Like a local theatre play only in movie… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

KenR

Jul 29, 2020

Egad look what just broke into our screens! A gang of over the hill jewel thieves plan and execute one of Britain’s biggest ever heists. This gang of misfit nasty ole robbers all seem to have been hauled out of their comfortable retirement homes, kicking and screaming, while constantlyEgad look what just broke into our screens! A gang of over the hill jewel thieves plan and execute one of Britain’s biggest ever heists. This gang of misfit nasty ole robbers all seem to have been hauled out of their comfortable retirement homes, kicking and screaming, while constantly uttering an endless barrage of foul expletives - each trying to needlessly out swear the other. The only audiences likely to make it through this caper will be those hauled out of their graves, propped up in their seats with match sticks placed under their eyelids... much like this rusty ole gang. While supposedly based on fact, its mostly presented as a comedy caper (the scriptwriter even foolishly makes a reference to the classic ‘Lavender Hill Mob”) but then throws up sharp, jarring moments of hateful double-crosses, tipping this take of events off balance. One or two moments work but not nearly enough to keep us engaged till the somewhat cop out finale. This looks like someone put the plots of multiple other heist movies on a table and invited a group of daft executive producers to pick the scenes they wanted to finance. Perhaps only the performers got to laugh all the way to the bank (or did they?)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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