How to Rob a Bank

The story has so many layers to it. I was completely locked in from the moment it started. The world of Scott Scurlock was so fascinating. Definitely a movie worth watching. The hippie meth dealer turned bank robber lived in this insane treehouse he built himself but then got addicted to the adrenaline high of robbing banks. Nicknamed Hollywood he took notes out of movies like Heat and Point Break. I loved all the different perspectives throughout the movie- from the accomplices to former friends, FBI agents and local law enforcement. This story is rich with content and super entertaining. Music was great and they incorporated drawings/sketches which added to the value and 90's era vibe. This movie was SO good!!!

Just finished watching this doc and have been really struck by the way that these filmmakers have seamlessly interwoven archival footage, dramatic recreation, and truly wonderful animation to make us feel like we really had a complete insight into how these unlikely events could have transpired. Some excellent food for thought about the true nature of some people who claim to be Robin Hood or "sticking it to the man." Contrary to some other reviews that claim glorification, I found I was left with a sense of feeling like his crimes weren't worth the cost he and his family paid. Really enjoyed it and would love to watch again.

Really compelling crime doc with a thoughtful and sensitive character study at its center. What a strange and enigmatic man Scott was... the home video footage is so beautiful and used to great effect here. Engaging, thought provoking, and morally complex stuff! I could rob a bank no problem though.

I see there are some reviewers on here wringing their hands about the ethics of the film and 'true crime' in general. While I think this is a valuable conversation to have, I don't believe this film is part of the problem. I think How to Rob a Bank does a very good job of holding Scott and his accomplices accountable; bank robbery is not a victimless crime and this is told to us directly through interviews with the victims themselves. Additionally, Scott's accomplices express deep regret at the path their lives took, the crimes they committed, and the people they hurt. The film and filmmakers seem well aware of the complicated subject matter. This is a true crime film but it is far from exploitative.

It was an interesting and well done documentary, but the major flaw was that it tended to make a hero out of the villain.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

From the guy doing the robberies to the people hunting him, all this documentary does is give you an insight into incredible egos of the wannabe criminal mastermind, his clearly easily influenced friends and the FBI agents hunting them.

It goes out of its way to paint a picture of Hollywood as some free spirit who used the money from bank robberies to live a carefree life in his tree house, hanging with friends and writing down his pretentious thoughts in a diary. Just read between the lines when people that knew him talk about him and you'll see a manipulator, not a happy go lucky guy.

The FBI are no better. One of the agents oozes ego that I nearly quite watching over the arrogance. I did this, I did that, I, I, I... Everyone keeps talking about "something horrible was bound to happen" and yet there was not a single hint throughout all the robberies that the pattern was evolving in that way. He intimidated people, tazed someone, but to make a leap that he'd go all out... that's just being generals after the battle.

It would be an interesting documentary if the people it talks about weren't so annoying.