14 Heist Movies Where the Plan Goes Wrong Immediately

Heist films usually focus on the intricate planning and precise execution of a complex crime. Some of the most memorable entries in the genre feature robberies that fall apart before they even truly begin. These stories shift the focus from the thrill of the steal to the chaotic struggle for survival. The following list explores movies where the perfect plan dissolves into immediate disaster.

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

Sonny and Sal attempt to rob a bank in Brooklyn on a hot summer afternoon. The plan falls apart instantly when their third accomplice flees the scene and they discover the vault is nearly empty. They become trapped inside the building while a massive media circus develops on the street. The situation escalates into a tense hostage crisis that forces Sonny to negotiate with police throughout the night.

‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)

The film opens after a diamond heist has already turned into a complete bloodbath. Survivors of the crew gather at a warehouse to figure out who betrayed them to the police. Paranoia tears the group apart as they realize an undercover cop is hiding among them. The non-linear storytelling reveals exactly how the plan disintegrated into violence within moments of the robbery starting.

‘Ambulance’ (2022)

Two adoptive brothers attempt to rob a bank in Los Angeles to pay for urgent medical bills. The police arrive much faster than anticipated and trap the crew before they can make a clean escape. They are forced to hijack an ambulance containing an EMT and a wounded police officer to flee the scene. The film unfolds as an extended chase sequence born entirely from the initial botched robbery.

‘Good Time’ (2017)

Connie Nikas and his developmentally disabled brother Nick attempt to rob a bank in New York City. A dye pack explodes in their getaway bag and causes the driver to crash the car almost immediately. Nick is captured by the police after a foot chase while Connie barely manages to escape. The rest of the movie follows Connie as he desperately tries to free his brother from custody during a chaotic night.

‘Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead’ (2007)

Two brothers organize a robbery of their parents’ jewelry store to solve their respective financial problems. The plan goes terribly wrong when their mother is the one working that morning and she produces a gun. The ensuing shootout leaves the mother dead and the hired accomplice critically injured. The brothers must deal with the overwhelming guilt and the rapid unraveling of their lives.

‘American Animals’ (2018)

Four college students attempt to steal rare books from a university library in Kentucky. Their heist relies on subduing the librarian but they struggle to go through with the necessary violence. The group panics and drops several valuable books while fleeing the scene in a state of confusion. FBI agents quickly close in on the amateur criminals as their poorly conceived plan collapses.

‘Widows’ (2018)

The film begins with a heist that ends in the explosive deaths of all four robbers. Their widows are left with the massive debt owed to a crime boss by their deceased husbands. The women decide to execute a heist planned by the leader of the original crew to pay off the debt. They must learn criminal skills rapidly to pull off the dangerous job without any prior experience.

‘Bottle Rocket’ (1996)

Three friends attempt a series of small heists that are marked by sheer incompetence. Their plan to rob a cold storage facility is poorly conceived and executed clumsily from the start. Internal disagreements and a lack of experience cause the robbery to fall apart quickly. The film highlights the massive gap between their criminal aspirations and their actual abilities.

‘Triple Frontier’ (2019)

Former special forces operatives reunite to steal millions from a drug lord in South America. Greed causes them to overload their helicopter with cash during the escape which leads to a crash. The aircraft goes down in the Andes and forces them to trek through hostile territory with their loot. Their survival mission replaces the get-rich-quick scheme as they turn against each other.

‘Heat’ (1995)

A professional crew attacks an armored car to steal bearer bonds at the start of the film. The disciplined plan falls apart when a new recruit impulsively kills a guard during the hold-up. This action forces the rest of the crew to eliminate the witnesses and draws the attention of a relentless detective. The entire investigation is triggered by that single moment of loss of control.

‘Killing Zoe’ (1993)

An American safe-cracker arrives in Paris to help a friend rob a bank on Bastille Day. The team is chaotic and drug-fueled which leads to immediate violence upon entering the bank. They massacre staff and customers instead of sticking to a controlled plan. The police surround the building and turn the heist into a bloody siege almost immediately.

‘The Ladykillers’ (2004)

A professor assembles a team of experts to rob a casino from a nearby root cellar. They struggle to dig the tunnel and deal with the inquisitive landlady who discovers their plot early on. The group decides to murder the old woman but fails repeatedly due to incompetence and accidents. Their inability to handle the simple task of silencing her leads to their ultimate demise.

‘Small Time Crooks’ (2000)

A dishwasher and his friends rent a storefront to dig a tunnel into a bank vault. They open a cookie shop as a front but the business becomes unexpectedly successful. The tunneling effort is a disaster that hits a water main instead of the intended vault. They eventually abandon the life of crime to run their thriving cookie empire instead.

‘Pain & Gain’ (2013)

Three bodybuilders kidnap a wealthy client to extort his assets in this film based on true events. Their attempts to torture the victim into signing over his property are clumsy and brutally ineffective. They try to stage a car accident to kill him but he survives and hires a private investigator. Every step of the criminal plot fails due to the stupidity and lack of foresight of the perpetrators.

Tell us which botched heist movie is your favorite in the comments.