User reviews

"How to Rob a Bank" is a low-budget oddity in which a young private citizen (Nick Stahl) gets accidentally locked in a bank vault with a hot-and-sexy would-be robber (Erika Christensen). The trick is it's hard to tell whose side young Jinx is really on - the bank robbers' who are holding the employees and customers hostage on the other side of the steel door, or the cops', led by Officer Degepse (Terry Crews of "Everybody Hates Chris"), who are stuck outside the bank trying to defuse the situation. Jinx is a customer mightily ticked off at how banks literally nickel-and-dime their depositors at every opportunity - and it is anger at this outrage that may inspire him to shift his loyalties to the malefactors in the final stretch.

Written and directed by Andrews Jenkins, the movie earns more points for creativity than it does for execution. The story is often needlessly gimmicky and confusing, the direction unpolished and lacking in finesse, and the performances low on subtlety and shading (though Stahl is very good). Plus, what with its made-on-the-cheap appearance, collection of pseudo-profundities and single-set mise-en-scene, "How to Rob a Bank" definitely has a film-school-project feel to it.

Still, it's kind of fun watching the movie turn the bank-robbery formula on its head, particularly in its blurring of the lines between the hostages and the hostage-takers, the law-breakers and the law-enforcers. Plus, for a little added kick, it has the late David Carradine appearing in a cameo role right at the closing moments.

The plot idea is fine and the story telling is not too long.

This is so dated and noticeably low budgeted, but damn if it isn't charming. Nick Stahl playing the meandering goofball protagonist, who can be particularly clever when he wants to be, is what makes this movie click, and it's filled with a few chuckles here and there from B characters as well. I enjoyed it overall, don't expect Heat, but expect a little fun.

This film is not your typical run of the mill weekend show on TV, this film is different than what the cable television channels are showing feeding the masses these days.

This film is original, creative, quirky and funny. The cast are amazing, and the storyline is simply fantastically (is that even a word, I do not know, but I used it anyway, in lack of a better word) made.

I wouldn't recommend this as a thriller, as I think this is more of a dark comedy, entwined with actions and clever conversations.

This film, whilst not Oscar worthy, is good nonetheless. Issues regarding bank security, of our dislikes of banks charging us for services they were supposed to give for free to the customers, is mentioned here.

I like the way the story is told, and of the tips given. For the record, I have no intention to rob any banks (yet), but the tips do come in handy should I decide to change my career in the future.

The movie itself...Not a classic, not very memorable, and very, I mean VERY unrealistic.

Still, I say who cares? Some people take every issue so seriously. I was reading one reviewer who was whining about the screens on the computers in the movie that were on for probably a whole 30 seconds...huh? People take things way to seriously. As stated the movie itself isn't the best and the ending is kind of rushed, but it has some great actors(including the late David Carradine) and its a fun flick. So, If your like me and you don't care that someone's tie didn't match their shirt then check it out.

I give it a 6 and It deserves no less then a 5

How this was ever turned into a movie I honestly have no idea. What is even more amazing is the excellent cast would have anything to do with it. Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, Gavin Rossdale, & Terry Crews are all quite talented, too bad they have nothing good for them to do. This reminded me of a a failed TV pilot that just wasn't any good so it wasn't aired. I respect what the writer/director was trying to do, sorry he failed miserably. This made a total of 1K in theaters then to video, and for good reason it sucks. Please don't bother wasting your time or your money with this very good looking (the cinematography is looks great) yet utterly pointless & extremely boring film.

a "dark" comedy with some weired moments,very "new age" production style; hot babe (by universal terms at least).

i did not find it "bad" at all; i have seen better from this genre, yet there is a certain "sweetness" that will likely keep you watch on, without feeling "bored" generally(the first 5-10 minutes i found them as irrelevant), even if the whole action happens in and in-between the "valut"(Nick Stahl and Erika Christensen), bank's main floor (with the bad guys+ hostage), and the front street with Terry Crews (as the negotiator).

i say "new age" dark comedy because there are many scenes that technically suppose to be funny but they are not; such as letting you think" along the line "ok...and...?". however the plot keeps reinventing itself to the point where the unfunny becomes comic, but still with the ability to hold its course. basically if you like British humor( even if it is a Hollywood production) and looking for pure entertainment values, this might be for you. and especially if you are part of the young generation and/or withing the start of the middle age one.

i found the end to be disappointing in traditional sense and there also some references to internet use that play out right from the "regulaters" political agenda! there are way too many phones and calls involved yet i THINK i can see the sarcasm in itself (if this was intended to be commercial it definitely fails flat and the investors should demand their money back).actually the plot in itself falls flat as well, since the "surcharge" theme has been played out many times before and much better. the thing that holds quiet well the movie together are the wacky dialogs(or most of them) and the camera work. David Carradine is a nice touch even if only actually see him once(i recognized his voice from a mile away without looking into credits first).

all in all is a good "progressive" time waster. it entertains

Jinx (Nick Stahl) is locked in the bank vault with sarcastic Jessica (Erika Christensen) tied up. He's ranting about bank service charges but he only wants his $20. Then she receives a call from Simon (Gavin Rossdale). He's the bank robber and he wants his cohort Jessica to open the vault. Police officer DeGepse (Terry Crews) is outside wondering what's going on.

Stahl and Christensen tries a bit of quirky rom-com but that mostly fails. It's trying hard with few resulting laughs. Then there is the heist scheme. It makes very little sense. It seems more reasonable for Jinx to hold up in the vault which leads to the big problem with the ending. It makes even less sense than the original scheme. It's a movie that can't be dissected logically. I like the two leads and they keep this movie from completely crashing.

It's difficult to make a film where nothing happens exciting to the viewer, but the filmmakers have done that here. Because nothing happens. And it works anyway. The cinematography is original and well done. The way the DP has the camera move gives you a real feel for the location and the claustrophobia the characters must feel. One shot in particular stands out. The camera moves from the vault back through the bank, out a bullet hole, and ends with the cops.

The dialogue is sharp and often funny. You might not be repeating any lines to your friends but the dialogue feels real. Okay, there was a little exposition, but not a lot. The exchange that ends with "I have his number if you want it" cracked me up.

The situations with cell phone use feel authentic in how they play out. The characters' frustrations and lack of cleverness is a refreshing change from most films. The editing is fairly tight. Scenes don't drag.

While the title of this movie is "How to Rob a Bank", it had only scenic reference to bank robbing. This movie really is an allegory about social dynamics; how to be a master of your own destiny (rob a bank) instead of being moderated into a meaningless controlled life by society (pretty much having very little money after paying for charges, etc...). "How to Rob a Bank" is a good movie that can be easily misunderstood if taken as either an action movie, a thriller or a straight on comedy. It has a genre of its own and a powerful message. The acting is the strongest aspect of the movie and rightly so, in order to deliver that message. The movie could have been better if it had more time to emphasize and elaborate, but then the rather short runtime of the movie (81 minutes) were quite effective. If you do watch that movie, pay attention to social dynamics instead of technical bank robbing details.

The first thing I did after watching this film was take it to my friends house and watch it again. I was so taken up with the cast the witty lines and the hand to mouth existence that the main character personifies. The acting was superb with the feelings of each character portrayed so well that it's almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen. The timing of each line was done so masterfully you're drawn even further into the story. I've read some of the other reviews and I honestly believe that this film is worth far more than they're giving. It's lighthearted nature, range of believable and identifiable characters as well as the sheer brilliance of its time and pacing has made this one of my favorite films of all time.

This movie is simply beautiful and surely this is not what you are expecting after hearing the title.

Though nothing remarkable happens, but it will definitely keep you in track as sufficient suspense is presented there. It reminds me of "The Blair Witch Project (1999)" where the mental pressure of fear, mystery and suspense was more intense than those were graphically presented.

Erika Christensen (Jessica) and Nick Stahl (Jinx) looks perfect in it. Especially sweet and very sexy Erika did a decent job with the role. The unspoken chemistry between them was pleasurable.

Debutant Andrews Jenkins was creative both in writing the script and directing the movie. The theme with something new in it worked well.

Not highly recommended but yet enjoyable.

How Rob a Viewer is more like it. I just saw this on On Demand HD Cable. For the first time ever with On Demand I really want my $ 6.99 back! I saw that this was an independent movie with a first time director released by IFC and it looked like it might be a cool little flick. Boy was I wrong. This thing is one of the worst films I have ever seen. If I had any power I would nominate this for a Razzie Award. It would win. Definitely the worst film of the year nomination. The story goes nowhere cinematically, photographically or thematically. Some of the acting is worse than a high school drama. Witness the exchange between the COP on the street and the angry young man trapped in the bank. I don't know if I can blame the actors as they look completely lost, as if they have no idea of what they are supposed to be doing and no direction. The lead performances are schizophrenic, without tracking any kind of performance. One minute the man trapped in the bank vault, with the horribly cheese ball sexy receptionist, is freaking out in a panic and the next he is chill and calm and delivering smooth cool lines to the femme fatal. Horrible. The dialog is trying so hard to be clever but it trips all over it's self conscious self. The clumsy attempt to message this plot out with a angry protest cry at banks for charging $ 1.50 ATM fees is laughable - but not funny.

The direction and production blatantly audition for an ultra mainstream Hollywood production in attempts to look slick and keep the camera fluid but just call attention to itself in it's half baked passionless, committee driven excuse for a movie. IFC I want my $ 6.99 back.

I really liked this movie because our main character, he has some issues like me with banks and what they charge us,, they nickel and dime us for every little thing,, but besides that. I thought that this movie was very funny,, an average guy goes into a bank and somehow ends up getting locked in the vault with one of the robbers,, but she is very sexy. so not to bad for me,, the robbers on the other side of the vault however are very inept. the cops even worse. our main character has to figure out right and wrong,, and if he wants to help the cops or help the sexy young bank robber girl. I thought this movie was hilarious, definitely thrilling, and just the whole premise of getting locked in the vault,, not a bad little gem,, not gonna win an Oscar but way above average.

My summary basically points out the only reason this movie may be worth the watch. Erika Christensen is extremely hot and she gets an enormous amount of screen time. If that's enough for you to watch a movie go for it. Else - pass on the experience.

Jinx (Nick Stahl) is having a bad day. Hungry and frustrated he tries to retrieve his 20 dollars from the ATM machine only to find out that he doesn't have enough funds to pay the $1.50 surcharge. Angry he heads to his local bank unaware it was being robbed. Panicking he locks himself in the bank vault with bank robber Jessica (Erika Christensen), whom he quickly ties up. The robbers want in, whilst Jinx wants out... and his 20 bucks.

The plot actually sounds promising and given a proper director with some feel for building the suspense it might actually work. This director however went for Fight Club type editing and a script trying so hard to be intelligent, that it fails to notice how stupid it is. Add to that some really poorly acted sequences and an absolute lack of suspense and this is what you get... One of the worse bank robbery movies in living memory.

Things you like outweigh the things you don't with this movie, even though it feels a tad dated now. The idea is is brilliant, and how it is conceptually put together genius. Full marks to the story/scriptwriter/storyboard artist. Luckily the two leads are charismatic and very competent actors. For me, the other bank robbers and the cop were a little cliche. Perhaps they seemed fresher back in 2007, when this movie was made. That was an opportunity lost. There was some good camera techniques and editing, but the overall colour and depth to this picture seemed a bit old TV to me. Again, maybe that's 2007. You're not wasting your time watching this movie however. It is in no way another Dog Day Afternoon. Much lower budget and besides I think this movie is aiming more at an indie Inside Man. The movie isn't overlong, which is a tick from me. It has some classy lines and the spark between the two leads is terrific. It's the kind of movie that has mastered the knack of keeping you interested without any real violence or special effects. A very clever play. If you are into crime or heist movies, then see it for it's diabolical plot!

It might only tell you that I disliked the movie or maybe even didn't understand the plot when I state now that I am convinced that the screenplay writer must be a longtime cocaine addict. You might think that I am bad with people when I say that the persons in this movie must be from a different planet, that what they uttered clearly did not come from motivation but from awfully bad writing that was supposed to come over as cool.

At some point, the movie just starts to hurt the consciousness. If it doesn't hurt yours, then you either didn't see it or that you don't have consciousness.

I think I am caught in a hellish reality tunnel with a pretentious movie and people who think that the movie's displayed wannabe-coolness is to be studied and imitated in real life because it makes you feel "good" about yourself. Those are the people that get shot dead in "Dogma" by Loki while he shouts "Fakes! All of you, fakes!".

Did you read the comment "A Fun Romp!"? It describes the opposite of what I think about this movie. It is unbelievable how people can not see that this movie is a load of mind vomit.

I rated this movie a ten not because of the brilliant actors' play the magnificent director work or the incredible make-up, I rated this movie a 10 because the screenplay is amazing. The simple truths hiding in plain sight. The value differential between one decision and another and the comatose state in which we make those decisions - there is the genius of this movie. Revealing things hiding in plain sight like the surcharges in the bank and the way small decisions can realizations can make your life different. I first watched the movie when I was 13 or 14 now I am 20 and I have watched the movie more than 6-7 times. I love it. I hope you appreciate the brilliant screenplay and the subtle messages that it tries to send through the whole situation that the movie is set in. You won't enjoy the movie if you don't want to think at all or you are too proud to recognize your blind spots...

I literally just made a IMDb account to rate this movie. If I could rate a - I would. The film is very basic and cheaply done. Tbh I think I could have made it better myself at university on my BA film and television course.

The comedy in the film is shocking the acting isn't very good (better than mine) but pretty poor and another annoying thing I found is that there are numerous continuity errors. Some of the errors that I spotted were that the phone was in the right hand at one point then the left at another and the bank in one scene is shown to be under the bank robbers and not adjacent which it is perceived in other scenes.

People may enjoy it but in my case I just found it very irritating to watch and ended up writing this review half way through the film.

One of the worst films I have ever watched.

This film gets steadily worse all the way to the worst ending ever. I think the ending was trying to be deep and meaningful but actually just made no sense, even after rewinding and watching the last scene again.

The film also randomly cuts back to the title sequence for no reasons what so ever and keeps repeating the same dialogue about paying the ATM to get money out over and over and over again.

In general the story feels very dragged out, the whole thing could be covered in about 5 minuets. The characters make little sense and the camera darting around near the end for 15 minutes is just ridiculous

I got a random blessing from a hacker Angel who contacted me after reading my post on Reddit . This dude called Royalblade cleared my medical debt and student loans. Yes you read it right, both loans that would have cost me $88,790 and 8 more years at least to pay off. Royalblade @protonmail. Com hit me up out of the blue and told me he wanted to help as his way of messing with the system . It is my biggest blessing and my miracle .