Honest Thief
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Williams
Written by
Produced by
  • Mark Williams
  • Myles Nestel
  • Tai Duncan
  • Craig Chapman
Starring
CinematographyShelly Johnson
Edited byMichael Shawver
Music byMark Isham[1]
Production
companies
  • The Solution Entertainment Group
  • Zero Gravity Management
  • Samuel Marshall Films
  • Ingenious Media
Distributed by
Release date
  • October 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Running time
99 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million[3]
Box office$32.6 million[4][5]

Honest Thief is a 2020 American action thriller film[6] directed by Mark Williams, from a screenplay by Williams and Steve Allrich. The film stars Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos and Robert Patrick, and follows a brooding former bank robber (Liam Neeson) who decides to turn himself in to the FBI, only to be set up by corrupt agents.

Honest Thief was theatrically released, including in IMAX, in the United States on October 16, 2020, by Open Road Films and Briarcliff Entertainment. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Neeson's performance, but noted the film's familiarity.[7][8]

Plot


Tom Dolan was a former US Marine and served as a demolitions expert. After years of service, Tom decided to use his knowledge and skills to become a successful bank robber known to the public as the "In-and-Out Bandit". One day, while he was storing money in a storage unit, he met Annie Wilkins, a psychology graduate student employed by the facility. They began talking and Tom told her all about his career as a bank robber and how fascinated he was by explosives and the destruction they can cause. Annie was amazed by the power that these explosive devices could have, and the two quickly formed a connection. Tom told Annie that he thought of her as a partner of sorts, even though he was already married. Nevertheless, the pair seemed inseparable as they worked together to store his stolen money. From then on out, the pair shared a special bond that would never be broken.

A year later, Tom and Annie are on the run, aware that they'll receive a long sentence if their guilt is discovered. They both wish to put the events of the past year behind them and leave the life of crime behind. It became clear that the only way to make this happen was for Tom to turn himself and the ill-gotten money over to the government in exchange for a much more lenient sentence. Tom takes the risk of trusting the authorities and sets up a meeting with FBI Agent Sam Baker. However, the crooked agents John Nivens and Ramon Hall intercept the meeting and Tom quickly realizes that they tricked him into revealing the location of his stolen money. Tom barely escapes with his and Annie's life, now fully aware that Nivens and Hall wanted to keep the money for themselves. Nivens makes the mistake of showing up when Tom and Annie were planning their escape, and this time Tom is ready. He threatens the agents with his hidden bargaining chip of two-thirds of the leftover cash and allows Annie to flee with all of the money. Tom eventually turns himself into the police, knowing that it is the only way to escape the life of crime he had been living for the last year. By putting his past behind him, Tom and Annie can finally live out their lives privately and free from their criminal history.

Tom and Annie held a bond like no other, and although he had pleaded with her to leave before Nivens and Hall noticed she was onto them, she was determined to find out the truth. Returning to the storage unit, Nivens and Hall detected her presence and quickly moved to apprehend her, resulting in Nivens knocking her unconscious. When Tom found her, he rushed her to the hospital in what felt like a race against time. When Baker's partner, Sean Meyers, attempted to arrest Tom as part of an unrelated investigation, Tom explained everything and barely managed to evade capture. Driven by angst and suspicion, Meyers soon began to uncover the lies that had been spun and noticed discrepancies in Nivens' story.

Tom had managed to outmaneuver his opponents and come out victorious. After ambushing Hall in his home, Tom was able to get the security footage and the location of the safe house from him. Tom then asked Annie for her help in getting the security footage to Meyers. She complied and also offered to show him the location of the safe house. After setting up a bomb to destroy Nivens' house, Nivens made his way to the safe house expecting to find Tom and Hall there. Little did he know, Tom had outsmarted him once again and was secretly waiting for him. Nivens was left with no choice but to surrender the stolen money and evidence to Tom and Hall. After taking the money, the two celebrated their victory and made their escape. When Nivens discovers that Hall had already turned over the security footage, he flies into a rage and murders Hall. During the struggle, Tom is left wounded but manages to fight off Nivens. Before Nivens can get away with the stolen money, Tom activates a bomb he had placed in his car, forcing Nivens to call the bomb squad and give up control of his vehicle. Meyers quickly arrives afterwards and has Nivens arrested. His car is searched and the stolen money is recovered. It's then revealed that the car bomb was actually a harmless dud, and that Hall was wearing a wire that had caught Nivens's confession to Baker's murder as well as his murder of Hall. With all of the evidence against him now, Nivens had no chance of escape.

After a grueling trial period haunted by the trauma of losing his beloved Annie, Tom was finally cleared of the murder charges brought against him. Tom feared that his describing of events wouldn't be believed and he'd be found guilty of the crime he hadn't committed it's a huge relief. Knowing he must take responsibility for Nivens' accidental death, Tom decides to turn himself in. In response to his confession, Meyers offers a reassuring promise - he will do what he can to lessen his sentence. Meyers sees through Tom and truly admires his conviction. He acknowledges Tom's uncovering of Nivens' illegal activities and his willingness to take the blame for Annie's death despite his innocence. If it weren't for the circumstances, Meyers muses that Tom could have made a terrific FBI agent. In such a trying time, Meyers' kind words provide comfort and encouragement to Tom, leaving him with hope that justice will prevail.

Cast

Production

On October 12, 2018, it was announced that Liam Neeson and Kate Walsh would star in the thriller film Honest Thief, as bank robber Tom and his love interest Annie, respectively, with Mark Williams directing. Jai Courtney and Jeffrey Donovan were also in talks for roles, with Tai Duncan, Myles Nestel, Williams, and Craig Chapman producing the film.[9] Courtney and Donovan were later confirmed along with Anthony Ramos, and Robert Patrick added to the cast in November, with filming set to begin on November 5.[10][11] The film was set in Boston, and shot in and around Worcester, Massachusetts.[12]

Release

In January 2020, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film and set it for a September 4, 2020 release.[13] It was then re-scheduled to be released on October 9, 2020.[14] In June 2020, it was announced Open Road Films would co-distribute the film with Briarcliff.[15] After temporarily being pulled from the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film's ultimate U.S. release date was October 16, 2020.[16] Due to the lack of big-budget competition, the film also played in IMAX and Dolby theaters.[17][18]

Reception

Box office

Honest Thief grossed $14.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $18.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $33.2 million.[4][5]

In the United States, the film grossed $1.3 million from 2,425 theaters on its first day, including $225,000 from Thursday night preview screenings. It went on to debut to $3.6 million, or $4.1 million including Canada's opening weekend the previous week, topping the box office.[17] In its second weekend the film made $2.4 million, remaining in first,[19] before being dethroned by newcomer Come Play in its third weekend.[20]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Honest Thief holds an approval rating of 39% based on 109 reviews, with an average score of 5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Guilty of first-degree squandering, Honest Thief returns Liam Neeson to late-period action thriller mode but neglects to supply much of a story."[21] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22] According to PostTrak, 75% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 53% saying they would definitely recommend it.[17]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety complimented Neeson for not phoning in his performance, but added, "Honest Thief isn't incompetent (for a certain kind of pulp action fan, it delivers just enough of the goods), but it's a textbook case of an action movie that goes through the motions."[23] Frank Scheck for The Hollywood Reporter said the film "delivers exactly what you expect" and wrote, "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."[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Isham to Score Mark Williams' 'Honest Thief'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Honest Thief". British Board of Film Classification.
  3. ↑ John Jurgensen (January 25, 2021). "Liam Neeson Is the Secret Weapon for Getting People Into Movie Theaters". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Honest Thief (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Honest Thief (2020) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Liam Neeson Action-Thriller 'Honest Thief' Sells To UK". Deadline Hollywood. February 18, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ Loftus, Johnny (March 12, 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Honest Thief' on Amazon Prime, Another Movie In Which Liam Neeson Has To Teach Some Bad People A Lesson". Decider.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  8. ↑ Lemire, Christy (October 16, 2020). "Reviews: Honest Thief". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr (October 12, 2018). "Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh To Star In 'Honest Thief'". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  10. ↑ "'Hamilton' Star Anthony Ramos Joins Liam Neeson's 'Honest Thief' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. November 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Robert Patrick In Talks To Board Liam Neeson-Kate Walsh Action-Thriller 'Honest Thief'". Deadline. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ Semon, Craig S. (July 31, 2020). "'Honest Thief' trailer showcases Liam Neeson's visit to Worcester". Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  13. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr (January 22, 2020). "Briarcliff Entertainment Acquires U.S. Rights To 'Honest Thief;' Action Thriller Stars Liam Neeson & Kate Walsh". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  14. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (July 30, 2020). "Liam Neeson Blows Shit Up in Exclusive Trailer for Crime Thriller 'Honest Thief'". Collider. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (June 22, 2020). "Open Road Relaunches With Liam Neeson's 'Honest Thief' Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 22, 2020). "Open Road's Liam Neeson Action-Thriller 'Honest Thief' Going Wide This Fall, A Week Later". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 18, 2020). "Liam Neeson Action Pic 'Honest Thief' Nabbing $4M+ Total By Sunday; 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Awakens – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Honest Thief". IMAX. October 8, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  19. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 25, 2020). "'Honest Thief' Continues To Lead Lackluster Pandemic Box Office, 'Empty Man' Tripped By Holdovers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 1, 2020). "Focus Features-Amblin Horror Movie 'Come Play' Leading Halloween Pandemic Weekend B.O. With $3M+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Honest Thief (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Honest Thief Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  23. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (October 13, 2020). "'Honest Thief' Review: Liam Neeson, Mad as Hell Again, as a Bank Robber Who Tries to Turn Himself In". Variety. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  24. ↑ Scheck, Frank (October 13, 2020). "'Honest Thief': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
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