How to Rob a Bank

How to Rob a Bank

Watch in the UK

Watch in the US

Data provided by

8 / 10

1 Review

Rate this movie:

8 Based on 1 Votes

10

0
9

0
8

1
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0

Overview

In this true-crime documentary, a charismatic rebel in 1990s Seattle pulls off an unprecedented string of bank robberies straight out of the movies.

Media

How to Rob a Bank | Official Trailer | Netflix

Cast

Jordan Burtchett

Director:

Stephen Robert Morse, Seth Porges

Writer:

Seth Porges, Max Peltz, Maxim Gertler-Jaffe, Stephen Robert Morse

Release Date:

2024-06-04

Run Time:

87m

Genres:

Crime Documentary

Keywords:

1990s bank robber bank robbery documentary robber robbery operation seattle, washington skills challenge special skills true crime

Financials and Popularity

Budget: Not Declared

Revenue: Not Declared

Vote Average: 6.8/10

Vote Count: 67 Votes

Movie Popularity: 1.6454

Spoken Languages: English

Review

View all reviews

Insomniacs Reviews
- 29 April 2026 at 7:47 pm

8 Based on 1 Votes
10

0
9

0
8

1
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0
⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY Netflix’s latest true-crime banger takes us back to 1990s Seattle, where the "tech boom" wasn't the only thing making people rich. The documentary follows the wild story of Scott Scurlock, better known to the FBI as "The Hollywood Bandit." Inspired by the movie Point Break, Scurlock used Hollywood-grade prosthetics and movie makeup to pull off nearly 20 high-stakes bank robberies without ever being caught. Living in a massive, secret treehouse and balancing a double life as an eco-warrior and a meth cook, he became a local legend before the walls finally started closing in. It’s a stylish, fast-paced look at a man who wanted to live like a movie character—and the heavy price that eventually came with it. THE PROS The story itself is an absolute winner; Scurlock is such a bizarre, charismatic figure that you almost can't believe he was real. The documentary does a high-quality job of using slick animation and archival footage to recreate the "Point Break" vibes of the era, making it feel more like a Michael Mann thriller than a standard talking-heads doc. It’s an 8/10 because it gets exclusive access to his former accomplices, who give an honest, inside look at how they actually pulled off the heists using movie magic. The pacing is gripping, especially in the first part where it tracks their rise to becoming the most successful bank robbers in US history. It also doesn't shy away from the darker side of Scurlock's personality, showing how his "Robin Hood" image was often just a mask for a man addicted to the thrill of the chase. THE CONS It earns an 8/10 because the middle part is quite sluggish, spending a bit too much time on Scurlock's early days in the meth business which feels a bit like a distraction from the main bank-robbing hook. While the documentary tries to be a sincere cautionary tale, it occasionally slips into a "head-scratcher" territory where it glorifies the lifestyle a bit too much before the final tragic act. It misses a higher mark because the ending feels a little rushed compared to the detailed buildup of the robberies, leaving some of the legal fallout and the impact on the victims feeling a bit quality-deficient. Also, some of the re-enactments can feel a bit repetitive if you’ve seen a lot of Netflix crime docs lately. THE VERDICT An 8/10. A gripping and stylish documentary that is a winner for anyone who loves a good "stranger than fiction" crime story. It’s a sincere, high-energy ride that perfectly captures the 90s aesthetic and the madness of a man who thought he could outrun the law forever. While it doesn't quite reach "epic status" or reinvent the documentary genre, it’s a total banger for a weekend watch. If you’re a fan of Point Break or Heat, this is a decent shout that’ll keep you hooked from the first heist to the final standoff. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Treehouse Hideout: Scurlock really did live in a massive three-story treehouse in the woods of Washington, which featured running water, a wood-burning stove, and served as the secret planning hub for his "Hollywood" gang.• Movie Influence: The crew was so obsessed with Point Break that they reportedly watched it hundreds of times, treating it as a literal training manual for how to control a room and time their escapes perfectly.• Prosthetic Mastery: To keep the look honest, Scurlock spent thousands on high-end latex prosthetics and makeup from actual film industry suppliers, allowing him to walk past his own "Wanted" posters in banks without anyone blinking an eye. THE VIBE Like a surf-rock track playing over a police scanner. It smells of damp pine needles, latex glue, and the metallic tang of a cold vault door.

Videos

How to Rob a Bank | Official Trailer | Netflix

Cast

Jordan Burtchett

Related Movies To

How to Rob a Bank

Time and Water

Time and Water

Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time, and water.

Run time: 93m Tagline: How do you say goodbye to something you never thought you could lose? Release: 2026-05-29

Director: Sara Dosa

Stars: Andri Snær Magnason

Super Troopers 3

Super Troopers 3

When Farva’s wildly over-the-top Indian engagement to Thorny’s sister spirals into chaos, the Super Troopers must navigate Thorny’s schemes to break up the relationship, while trying to crack a pernicious new drug ring — all to save the day and maybe the wedding itself.

Run time: 0m Tagline: The mustache rides, again. Again. Release: 2026-08-06

Director: Jay Chandrasekhar

Stars: Andrew Dismukes Brian Cox Chace Crawford Erik Stolhanske Jay Chandrasekhar Kevin Heffernan Marisa Coughlan Nat Faxon Paul Soter Steve Lemme

How to Rob a Bank

How to Rob a Bank

A crew of social media-savvy bank robbers broadcasts their daring heists, unaware that their growing viral fame has put them in the crosshairs of a veteran FBI agent and a brilliant software engineer. Despite the unlikely duo closing in, the crime ring pushes past their limits, putting everything on the line for their most ambitious heist yet.

Run time: 0m Tagline: Who's robbing who? Release: 2026-09-03

Director: David Leitch

Stars: Anna Sawai Christian Slater John C. Reilly Michael Gandolfini Nicholas Hoult Pete Davidson Rhenzy Feliz Tati Gabrielle Young Mazino Zoë Kravitz

Normal

Normal

7 / 10

1 Review

An unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past responds to a bank robbery in a small, sleepy town and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.

Run time: 91m Tagline: Small town. Big secret. Release: 2026-04-16

Director: Ben Wheatley

Stars: Alex MacMillan Billy MacLellan Bob Odenkirk Brendan Fletcher Henry Winkler Jess McLeod Lena Headey Peter Shinkoda Reena Jolly Ryan Allen

The Green Mile

The Green Mile

9 / 10

1 Review

A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

Run time: 189m Tagline: Paul Edgecomb didn't believe in miracles. Until the day he met one. Release: 1999-12-10

Director: Frank Darabont

Stars: Barry Pepper Bonnie Hunt David Morse Doug Hutchison Graham Greene James Cromwell Michael Clarke Duncan Michael Jeter Sam Rockwell Tom Hanks

Collections

How to Rob a Bank

This movie is not part of any collection.

Reviews for

How to Rob a Bank

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 29 April 2026 at 8:47 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10
THE SUMMARY
Netflix’s latest true-crime banger takes us back to 1990s Seattle, where the “tech boom” wasn’t the only thing making people rich. The documentary follows the wild story of Scott Scurlock, better known to the FBI as “The Hollywood Bandit.” Inspired by the movie Point Break, Scurlock used Hollywood-grade prosthetics and movie makeup to pull off nearly 20 high-stakes bank robberies without ever being caught. Living in a massive, secret treehouse and balancing a double life as an eco-warrior and a meth cook, he became a local legend before the walls finally started closing in. It’s a stylish, fast-paced look at a man who wanted to live like a movie character—and the heavy price that eventually came with it.
THE PROS
The story itself is an absolute winner; Scurlock is such a bizarre, charismatic figure that you almost can’t believe he was real. The documentary does a high-quality job of using slick animation and archival footage to recreate the “Point Break” vibes of the era, making it feel more like a Michael Mann thriller than a standard talking-heads doc. It’s an 8/10 because it gets exclusive access to his former accomplices, who give an honest, inside look at how they actually pulled off the heists using movie magic. The pacing is gripping, especially in the first part where it tracks their rise to becoming the most successful bank robbers in US history. It also doesn’t shy away from the darker side of Scurlock’s personality, showing how his “Robin Hood” image was often just a mask for a man addicted to the thrill of the chase.
THE CONS
It earns an 8/10 because the middle part is quite sluggish, spending a bit too much time on Scurlock’s early days in the meth business which feels a bit like a distraction from the main bank-robbing hook. While the documentary tries to be a sincere cautionary tale, it occasionally slips into a “head-scratcher” territory where it glorifies the lifestyle a bit too much before the final tragic act. It misses a higher mark because the ending feels a little rushed compared to the detailed buildup of the robberies, leaving some of the legal fallout and the impact on the victims feeling a bit quality-deficient. Also, some of the re-enactments can feel a bit repetitive if you’ve seen a lot of Netflix crime docs lately.
THE VERDICT
An 8/10. A gripping and stylish documentary that is a winner for anyone who loves a good “stranger than fiction” crime story. It’s a sincere, high-energy ride that perfectly captures the 90s aesthetic and the madness of a man who thought he could outrun the law forever. While it doesn’t quite reach “epic status” or reinvent the documentary genre, it’s a total banger for a weekend watch. If you’re a fan of Point Break or Heat, this is a decent shout that’ll keep you hooked from the first heist to the final standoff.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Treehouse Hideout: Scurlock really did live in a massive three-story treehouse in the woods of Washington, which featured running water, a wood-burning stove, and served as the secret planning hub for his “Hollywood” gang.
• Movie Influence: The crew was so obsessed with Point Break that they reportedly watched it hundreds of times, treating it as a literal training manual for how to control a room and time their escapes perfectly.
• Prosthetic Mastery: To keep the look honest, Scurlock spent thousands on high-end latex prosthetics and makeup from actual film industry suppliers, allowing him to walk past his own “Wanted” posters in banks without anyone blinking an eye.
THE VIBE
Like a surf-rock track playing over a police scanner. It smells of damp pine needles, latex glue, and the metallic tang of a cold vault door.

Leave a Review Cancel reply