No Ordinary Heist

No Ordinary Heist

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

Inspired by the true 2004 Northern Bank robbery, two feuding bank employees are forced to execute Ireland’s biggest heist after criminals kidnap their families and threaten to kill them.

Media

NO ORDINARY HEIST Official Trailer (Ire/UK) 2026

Cast

Desmond Eastwood

Éanna Hardwicke

Michelle Fairley

Director:

Colin McIvor

Writer:

Aisling Corristine, Colin McIvor

Release Date:

2026-03-27

Run Time:

99m

Tagline:

26.5 million reasons to break the rules.

Genres:

Keywords:

based on true story belfast, north ireland heist gone wrong independent film

Financials and Popularity

Budget: Not Declared

Revenue: Not Declared

Vote Average: 6.2/10

Vote Count: 10 Votes

Movie Popularity: 2.2687

Spoken Languages: English

Review

View all reviews

Insomniacs Reviews
- 28 April 2026 at 10:11 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 Belfast, 2004. Richard Murray (Eddie Marsan) is a senior bank official under massive pressure at work, while his younger colleague Barry (Éanna Hardwicke) is the reckless keeper of the vault keys. Their lives collide in a terrifying ordeal when an armed gang takes their families hostage. The demand is simple but impossible: orchestrate a £26.5 million robbery from the Northern Bank without the criminals ever setting foot inside the building. Forced to work together despite their mutual disdain, Richard and Barry must navigate a high-stakes psychological game where one wrong move could cost their loved ones everything. It’s a grounded, anxiety-inducing look at one of the UK’s most notorious unsolved crimes. THE PROS Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke are a winner in this; their chemistry is punchy and sincere, perfectly capturing the desperation of two men trapped in a nightmare. Marsan brings a cold, calculated logic to Richard, while Hardwicke is the "raw nerve" of the operation, giving the film a visceral emotional pulse. Director Colin McIvor ditches the flashy tropes of a typical heist movie for a claustrophobic, "real-time" tension that is epic status. It’s an 8/10 because the film stays focused on the human cost rather than the mechanics of the robbery. Michelle Fairley is also quality as the sharp-eyed security guard who starts to smell a rat. The use of the crisp, wet winter atmosphere of Belfast adds a sincere layer of grit to the visuals. THE CONS It earns an 8/10 because the pacing can feel slightly sluggish during the transition between the kidnapping and the actual heist, as it lingers on the family's suffering a bit longer than necessary. While the "father-son" dynamic between Richard and Barry is a punchy addition, it feels a bit like a damp squib by the end, never quite reaching a full resolution. It misses a 9/10 mark because some of the supporting gang members are a bit quality-deficient in terms of characterization, serving mostly as generic, menacing figures. At 100 minutes, it’s a tight sit, but the ending—staying true to the real-life mystery—might feel a bit unsatisfying for those looking for a clean, Hollywood-style wrap-up. THE VERDICT An 8/10. A good movie and highly recommended—it’s a masterclass in tension that proves you don't need a massive shootout to make a heist movie thrilling. A winner for its performances and its grounded, terrifying premise. Go and watch it for the "vault key" sequence—it’s quality cinema that will have you on the edge of your seat. This was a highly anticipated dramatization that truly does justice to the source material. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Real World Stakes: The film is inspired by the 2004 Northern Bank robbery in Belfast. To this day, £26.5 million was stolen, but no one has ever been convicted of the crime, making it one of the most successful and mysterious bank heists in history.• No Set Foot: The movie highlights the most unique part of the real crime: the thieves never actually entered the bank while the money was being moved. They used the two employees as "pawns" while keeping their families at gunpoint in separate locations, a tactic that the production team researched extensively to keep the film sincere.• Belfast Winter: To capture the "crisp, wet air" of the real event, the film was shot on location in Belfast and Dublin during the dead of winter. The cast reportedly didn't have to act much when it came to looking cold and miserable, which adds a punchy realism to the street scenes. THE VIBE Like a cold sweat in a fluorescent-lit office. It smells like damp wool, stale coffee, and pure adrenaline.

Videos

NO ORDINARY HEIST Official Trailer (Ire/UK) 2026

Cast

Desmond Eastwood

Éanna Hardwicke

Michelle Fairley

Forrest Bothwell

Michèle Forbes

Related Movies To

No Ordinary Heist

Verity

Verity

Lowen Ashleigh gets hired by Jeremy Crawford to ghostwrite novels for his bestselling author wife Verity, who's unable to finish after an accident. Lowen uncovers Verity's disturbing truths while residing at the Crawfords' home to work.

Run time: 0m Tagline: There is no light where we're going. Release: 2026-09-30

Director: Michael Showalter

Stars: Alex Cooper Anne Hathaway Brady Wagner Dakota Johnson Irina Dvorovenko Ismael Cruz Cordova Josh Hartnett K.K. Moggie Michael Abbott Jr.

Children of Men

Children of Men

10 / 10

1 Review

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

Run time: 109m Tagline: The year 2027: the last days of the human race. No child has been born for 18 years. He must protect our only hope. Release: 2006-09-22

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Stars: Charlie Hunnam Chiwetel Ejiofor Clare-Hope Ashitey Clive Owen Danny Huston Julianne Moore Michael Caine Oana Pellea Pam Ferris Peter Mullan

Oldboy

Oldboy

10 / 10

1 Review

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.

Run time: 120m Tagline: 15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance. Release: 2003-11-21

Director: Park Chan-wook

Stars: Choi Min-sik Ji Dae-han Kang Hye-jung Kim Byeong-ok Lee Seung-shin Oh Dal-su Oh Tae-kyung Yoo Ji-tae Yoo Yeon-seok Yoon Jin-seo

Ghost

Ghost

8 / 10

1 Review

After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.

Run time: 127m Tagline: Before Sam was murdered, he told Molly he'd love and protect her forever. Release: 1990-07-13

Director: Jerry Zucker

Stars: Armelia McQueen Demi Moore Martina Deignan Patrick Swayze Phil Leeds Rick Aviles Rick Kleber Tony Goldwyn Vincent Schiavelli Whoopi Goldberg

Marrowbone

Marrowbone

7 / 10

1 Review

A young man and his three younger siblings are plagued by a sinister presence in the sprawling manor in which they live.

Run time: 111m Tagline: No one will ever separate us. Release: 2017-10-27

Director: Sergio G. Sánchez

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy Charlie Heaton George MacKay Kyle Soller Matthew Stagg Mia Goth Myra Kathryn Pearse Nicola Harrison Paul Jesson Tom Fisher

Collections

No Ordinary Heist

This movie is not part of any collection.

Reviews for

No Ordinary Heist

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 28 April 2026 at 11:11 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10
THE SUMMARY
Belfast, 2004. Richard Murray (Eddie Marsan) is a senior bank official under massive pressure at work, while his younger colleague Barry (Éanna Hardwicke) is the reckless keeper of the vault keys. Their lives collide in a terrifying ordeal when an armed gang takes their families hostage. The demand is simple but impossible: orchestrate a £26.5 million robbery from the Northern Bank without the criminals ever setting foot inside the building. Forced to work together despite their mutual disdain, Richard and Barry must navigate a high-stakes psychological game where one wrong move could cost their loved ones everything. It’s a grounded, anxiety-inducing look at one of the UK’s most notorious unsolved crimes.
THE PROS
Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke are a winner in this; their chemistry is punchy and sincere, perfectly capturing the desperation of two men trapped in a nightmare. Marsan brings a cold, calculated logic to Richard, while Hardwicke is the “raw nerve” of the operation, giving the film a visceral emotional pulse. Director Colin McIvor ditches the flashy tropes of a typical heist movie for a claustrophobic, “real-time” tension that is epic status. It’s an 8/10 because the film stays focused on the human cost rather than the mechanics of the robbery. Michelle Fairley is also quality as the sharp-eyed security guard who starts to smell a rat. The use of the crisp, wet winter atmosphere of Belfast adds a sincere layer of grit to the visuals.
THE CONS
It earns an 8/10 because the pacing can feel slightly sluggish during the transition between the kidnapping and the actual heist, as it lingers on the family’s suffering a bit longer than necessary. While the “father-son” dynamic between Richard and Barry is a punchy addition, it feels a bit like a damp squib by the end, never quite reaching a full resolution. It misses a 9/10 mark because some of the supporting gang members are a bit quality-deficient in terms of characterization, serving mostly as generic, menacing figures. At 100 minutes, it’s a tight sit, but the ending—staying true to the real-life mystery—might feel a bit unsatisfying for those looking for a clean, Hollywood-style wrap-up.
THE VERDICT
An 8/10. A good movie and highly recommended—it’s a masterclass in tension that proves you don’t need a massive shootout to make a heist movie thrilling. A winner for its performances and its grounded, terrifying premise. Go and watch it for the “vault key” sequence—it’s quality cinema that will have you on the edge of your seat. This was a highly anticipated dramatization that truly does justice to the source material.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Real World Stakes: The film is inspired by the 2004 Northern Bank robbery in Belfast. To this day, £26.5 million was stolen, but no one has ever been convicted of the crime, making it one of the most successful and mysterious bank heists in history.
• No Set Foot: The movie highlights the most unique part of the real crime: the thieves never actually entered the bank while the money was being moved. They used the two employees as “pawns” while keeping their families at gunpoint in separate locations, a tactic that the production team researched extensively to keep the film sincere.
• Belfast Winter: To capture the “crisp, wet air” of the real event, the film was shot on location in Belfast and Dublin during the dead of winter. The cast reportedly didn’t have to act much when it came to looking cold and miserable, which adds a punchy realism to the street scenes.
THE VIBE
Like a cold sweat in a fluorescent-lit office. It smells like damp wool, stale coffee, and pure adrenaline.

Leave a Review Cancel reply