‘Never steal a man’s second chance’
Honest Thief is a 2020 American action thriller a notorious bank robber who turns himself in but is double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.
Directed by Mark Williams from a screenplay co-written with Steve Allrich, the movie stars Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos and Robert Patrick.
Plot:
Tom (Liam Neeson) is a lot of things, but two in particular: an infamous thief and a newfound romantic. His feelings for his new flame Annie (Kate Walsh) have inspired him to right his past wrongs and leave behind his life of crime. Although he has always worked with integrity and precision, exclusively carrying out non-violent bank jobs, he does not want his relationship with Annie to be built upon lies. He resolves to turn himself into the FBI and forfeit the money he has stolen in return for a plea deal and a clean slate.
When he calls the Boston FBI field office to confess and set a meeting, Agents Baker (Robert Patrick) and Meyers (Jeffrey Donovan) laugh it off as a prank. They send their subordinates, Agents Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos), instead. The two younger agents are shocked to discover that Tom is the real deal and see Tom’s stolen money as their golden ticket to a better life. And so begins a cat-and-mouse game where good and bad become tangled but love always rings true…
Reviews:
“Honest Thief is a very predictable action movie from Liam Neeson. Fans of Mr. Neeson know exactly what they are getting into. Should you make Honest Thief a late-to-the-party holiday gift for the action lover in your life? If they tell awful “dad jokes”, then you might have a winner.” Bulletproof Action
“Perfectly watchable but Honest Thief is frankly just another generic and middle of the road Liam Neeson action vehicle. The action isn’t bad but it’s overall pretty forgettable and while the cast are all solid, they aren’t really given much to do. It’s entertaining enough but it’s one of the more cliched movies I’ve seen in a while…” Connor Carey
“The few car chases and fight scenes that are here lack energy and excitement, To a degree, even Liam Neeson seems bored with this one and phoning it in. It’s a tonally confused mess that’s neither dramatic, exhilarating, or romantic.” Flickering Myth
“The corny romance plot is actually rather sweet, but Honest Thief still lacks the elegiac tone that made Robert Redford’s recent film, The Old Man & the Gun, a richer take on a similar storyline […] It seems there’s no time for reflecting on lost loves while barrelling through Boston in a hot-wired car.” The Guardian
“The director, who co-wrote the piece with Steve Allrich, has clearly set out to bring a fast-paced, exciting action film that hardly lets up to the screen, and he does largely succeed. So long as you kick things into cruise control and leave your brain at home, you’ll get something from this decent actioner. Just don’t expect the experience to be a memorable one.” The Hollywood News
“Running a sleek 90 minutes before the credits roll, Honest Thief is certainly efficient if not exactly original, with writer/director Williams infusing it with enough quirky character touches — such as Tom crankily complaining how much he hates his “In and Out Bandit” moniker — to distract from the derivative feeling of it all. Much like its central character, the film at least proves honest in its intentions.” The Hollywood Reporter
“For all the suspect motives that eventually come to the surface, director Williams does a good job of balancing the squealing wheels of the action sequences against the dramatic forces that have moved old Tom to go straight, even if the narrative kept causing me to raise my eyebrows in disbelief. Truth be told, I enjoyed Honest Thief more than I anticipated, mostly for the actors and their juicy performances.” Screen Anarchy
“Those familiar with Neeson’s output in the past decade will find few surprises in Honest Thief, which is neither as sadistic as Taken, nor as existential as The Grey. Instead, veteran producer-turned director Mark Williams delivers a tight, coherent and efficient thriller, peppered with enough moments of pithy dialogue and ancillary character quirks to elevate it above Neeson’s more humdrum offerings.” South China Morning Post
Release:
Having already been released in Denmark and Russia in September, Honest Thief is released globally on various dates in October 2020. The US release is slated for October 16th.
Cast and characters:
Liam Neeson … Tom
Kate Walsh … Annie
Jai Courtney … Agent Nivens
Jeffrey Donovan … Agent Meyers
Anthony Ramos … Agent Hall
Robert Patrick … Agent Sam Baker
Birol Tarkan Yildiz … Boss Mike
Tazzie … Tazzie
Adam Teper … Hotel Valet
Jose Guns Alves … Bomb Squad Specialist
Osmani Rodriguez … Short Detective
Janelle Feigley … Artist
Devon Diep … Cute Nurse
Jamie Ghazarian … Copy Girl
Michael Malvesti … Wired Cop
Filming locations:
Worcester, Massachusetts
Technical details:
99 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Trailer:
