Both the original and the sequel are streaming on Netflix now.
If you were to search for lists of the best heist movies ever, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that does not include director Spike Lee’s 2006 masterpiece Inside Man.
The film starred Denzel Washington as a tough New York City detective assigned to the scene when thieves seize control of a Manhattan bank, taking hostages in the process.
This is as the mysterious ringleader (Clive Owen) of the criminals claims he has committed the perfect bank robbery.
Complicating matters further is the power broker and fixer (Jodie Foster) who also arrives at the crime scene, representing a wealthy figure (Christopher Plummer) with something hidden in a safety deposit box within the bank.
Inside Man works as an ingeniously twisty heist story, but also as a gripping portrait of modern New York and the secret corridors of power operating within the city.
It also benefited from a wickedly fun script by Russell Gewirtz and universally terrific performances from its ensemble cast.
A massive hit both commercially and critically, it earned a direct-to-video sequel 13 years later titled Inside Man: Most Wanted.
And though Lee, Gewirtz and their cast did not return for the follow-up, it had some talent involved behind the scenes – including director M.J. Bassett (Deathwatch, Solomon Kane) and stars Aml Ameen (Sense8) and Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul).
Most Wanted revolves around a robbery at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with the thieves using similar methods to Clive Owen’s character in the original.
As such, a hostage negotiator (Ameen) from the NYPD and an FBI agent (Seehorn) are called to the scene to resolve the situation and save the innocent people trapped in the building.
While initially, the thieves are believed to just be copycats, it soon becomes clear that their ringleader (played by Roxanne McKee) has some connection to the events of the 2006 flick.
Produced for a much lower budget than its predecessor, Inside Man: Most Wanted – as can be expected – lacks the directorial flair, snappy script and thematic depth of Lee’s film.
That said, the sequel remains watchable. Ameen and Seehorn make for compelling leads, while the central heist plot is told in a pacy, unpredictable manner.
The follow-up even clears up some loose threads from the 2006 movie, though the resolution of one character’s storyline from the original will certainly frustrate fans.
Though Inside Man: Most Wanted was released in 2019, the film was largely forgotten until it was added to Netflix earlier this month on 5 May.
And over two weeks later, it still remains in the streaming service’s Top 10 movie chart, indicating there is still a hunger for more Inside Man.
