What makes a heist movie truly unforgettable? It's a delicate recipe: a crew of thieves with distinct personalities and specialized skills, a prize worth the risk—whether it's revenge on the elite or a historic first—and enough twists to keep you guessing until the final frame. Netflix is about to serve up one of the genre's finest examples when Inside Man and its sequel, Inside Man: Most Wanted, drop on June 1.
Directed by Spike Lee, the original 2006 film centers on Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), who leads a team that takes over a Manhattan bank. Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) works to resolve the hostage crisis, while corporate fixer Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) is dispatched by the bank's owner, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), to retrieve a secret item. What unfolds is a brilliantly layered thriller that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish.
A Heist That Keeps You Guessing
From the opening scene, Russell boasts that he's pulled off the perfect heist. The rest of the movie proves him right, as Lee's daring direction and Russell Gewirtz's clever script reveal a story with multiple layers. The tension never lets up as Frazier tries to protect the hostages and White uncovers Case's hidden agenda. It turns out Russell and his crew are always ten steps ahead, forcing everyone else to improvise.
Inside Man was a milestone for both Washington and Lee. For Lee, it was his most mainstream film and his highest-grossing, earning over $184 million worldwide on a $45 million budget—the largest of his career. For Washington, it was his biggest box office hit until Gladiator 2. Naturally, a sequel was greenlit, but lightning didn't strike twice.
The Sequel That Never Was
Lee originally planned a direct sequel reuniting Washington and Owen, but funding fell through. As he told Vulture, "Inside Man was my most successful film, but we can't get the sequel made... The film's not getting made. We tried many times. It's not going to happen."
Instead, Netflix released Inside Man: Most Wanted in 2019, a sequel in name only. It lacks the original's tension, features a cast that seems disengaged, and includes a twist that unravels upon reflection. For fans of heist thrillers, the original remains the must-watch—a perfect weekend binge, especially paired with other great options like our curated weekend binge plan.
If you're craving more psychological twists, check out our list of the top 10 psychological thrillers of the past 30 years. And for another Denzel Washington thriller, don't miss Mahershala Ali's reunion with his 'Blade' director.
So grab some popcorn, settle in, and let Spike Lee's masterful heist—and its disappointing follow-up—fill your weekend. The original is a near-perfect crime thriller that deserves a spot on your watchlist.
