Contains spoilers.
Inside Man is the kind of movie that doesn’t get made anymore. If you announced this movie in 2025, with Spike Lee at the helm, a leading cast of Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster and Clive Owen, complemented by the likes of Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor… it would crumble under its own pressure.
It probably wouldn’t get made to begin with, because what it is, is a solid heist movie. It’s not ground-breaking or extraordinary, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s well written, incredibly well acted, and… actually let me stop there. Maybe I say it’s well written because it’s so well acted. Give the exact same script to another director and a lesser tier of cast, and this could turn into a ridiculous film, and not in a good way. You have to admit, the characters are a little bit cartoonish. Arrogant genius bank robber with a social agenda? Check. Black detective, whose integrity is being questioned, rising above the occasion? Check. Calculating, super smart, charismatic, morally ambiguous right-hand of the villain? Check. The villain himself, actually a Nazi sympathizer? Check. Everyone incredibly just pulls it off though.
Add a really good soundtrack on top, and besides that, there really is not much else to say. This was the third time I saw it, and I would happily watch it again. It’s fun even when you know exactly what is going to happen. It doesn’t rely on its plot twists to make itself watchable. If you haven’t, go watch it.
My rating: 8/10.