‘How To Rob a Bank’ Reviews Are In, and Critics Are Split on David Leitch’s Heist Thriller

David Leitch has built his directing career on stylish, high-energy action. The stunt coordinator turned filmmaker has mostly enjoyed a successful run with films such as “John Wick,” “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2,” “Hobbs & Shaw” and “Bullet Train.” His latest, ‘How to Rob a Bank’, was expected to add another crowd-pleaser to that list.

The film’s premise taps into the social media age. According to Rotten Tomatoes, a crew of social media-savvy bank robbers broadcasts their daring heists, unaware that their growing viral fame has put them in the crosshairs of a veteran FBI agent and a brilliant software engineer.

Now that the review embargo has lifted, the early verdict is far from unanimous. As shown in the shared screenshot, the film currently holds a 46% Tomatometer score from 24 reviews, and its Popcornmeter is still empty ahead of release. World of Reel reported a 50% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 53 on Metacritic shortly after the embargo lifted, calling it easily the worst-reviewed film of Leitch’s career.

The criticism seems to center on style and message rather than the cast. Per World of Reel, many critics are singling out Hoult, but Leitch’s stunts fall flat and lack his usual energy. The outlet added that what seems to bother critics most is the feed-scrolling style, an anti-bank message that rings false, and a story that isn’t as deep as it thinks it is.

New trailer for David Leitch’s ‘HOW TO ROB A BANK’, starring Nicholas Hoult, Pete Davidson & Anna Sawai. The film follows influencers who film How-To videos about robbing banks for YouTube. In theaters on November 13. https://t.co/CfF43PYay2

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 17, 2026

One review argued that a cartoonish script and cookie-cutter characters make for a poor cinema-going experience for those looking for anything with an ounce of nuance. Even so, the same critic admitted to having fun, describing it as entertainment that works as long as you know what you’re signing up for.

New poster for David Leitch’s ‘HOW TO ROB A BANK’ starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Anna Sawai and Pete Davidson. In theaters on September 4. https://t.co/dGxYaJ42Vn

— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) September 17, 2026

MovieWeb was much more enthusiastic. Its review praised grounded action, a fun premise, and compelling performances, calling it a fantastic popcorn movie, even if its political message is a bit simplistic.

Whatever critics think of the script, the cast is stacked. Nicholas Hoult stars as Ryan and Zoë Kravitz as Reagan Gardner, with Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz, Christian Slater, Pete Davidson, John C. Reilly, Michael Gandolfini, Sam Lerner and Tati Gabrielle rounding out the cast.

How To Rob A Bank is kind of shocking in its message and what it passes off to the audience. It’s more than just dumb action. It’s parts Fortnite, part Point Break, with good dose of emotion. Those frustrated with our current society will love this. #HowtoRobABank https://t.co/FfO9QdgaSP

— Hunter Bolding (@HunterBVideo) November 11, 2026

Hoult plays Ryan, the ringleader, with Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz and Pete Davidson completing the crew; Davidson’s character is Vince. Meanwhile, John C. Reilly plays Agent West, the agent on the crew’s trail.

The script comes from Mark Bianculli, who’s also behind the upcoming Cliffhanger remake. The film is distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, with 87North and Imagine Entertainment among its production companies.

Electric dirt bikes, wolf masks, a bunny mask and a staged bank heist right on the red carpet. The masked crew rolled up on electric dirt bikes and came out of a van, grabbed the cash, covered the walls in stickers and even threw in some acrobatics. 🐺🐰🏍️💸 A wild premiere stunt for How to Rob a Bank, in theaters November 13. The movie follows a crew of social media savvy bank robbers broadcasting their heists as an FBI agent and a software engineer try to track them down. @AmazonMGMStudio

— New York Mickey (@MickmickNYC) November 11, 2026

The heist thriller didn’t always have this release slot. Originally set for September 4, Amazon MGM Studios pushed How to Rob a Bank back two months to a prime holiday slot on November 13.

That move put it in direct competition with other big releases. It now faces J.J. Abrams’ “The Great Beyond” and Ti West’s “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol” starring Johnny Depp, as all three vie for the same autumn audience.

Early tracking hasn’t been especially strong. Boxoffice Pro’s long-range forecast placed the film’s domestic opening weekend range at $10M – $15M. World of Reel has been even more pessimistic, describing the reportedly $80M-plus production as tracking toward a bomb.

As 3DVF noted, whether the gamble pays off will depend on word of mouth once all three films share multiplexes. For now, ‘How to Rob a Bank’ looks like a film that will appeal to viewers who simply want a flashy action ride. Audiences will soon decide whether it can overcome the mixed reviews.

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