Movie

Thief

1981 · 123 min

A cool, brooding crime drama with stylish visuals and a pulsing synth score, building tension through methodical pacing and sudden violence.

Tagline: Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.
Overview: Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: darkstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: crime
ambition
betrayal
isolation
redemption
Places: big city
suburbs
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language strong
Violence strong
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	5
Horror	2
Humour	2
Realism	8
Romance	3
Tension	7
Darkness	7
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: crime, thriller, drama
Directed by: Michael Mann
Written by: Michael Mann
Starring: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi, Tom Signorelli, Dennis Farina, Nick Nickeas
Music: Christopher Franke, Edgar Froese
Cinematography: Donald E. Thorin
Runtime: 123 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

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Thief

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