"How to Rob a Bank" Review: Nicholas Hoult Steals the Show in an Uneven but Entertaining Heist Comedy
David Leitch knows how to stage mayhem, but his sixth feature, "How to Rob a Bank", gets plenty of mileage from the personalities behind the robberies. Working from a screenplay by Mark Bianculli, Leitch follows a crew that documents its heists on social media and shares tips along the way. Naturally, that online attention puts the group on the FBI’s radar.
Ryan (Nicholas Hoult) leads the crew alongside his wife, Emi (Anna Sawai), Army veteran Vince (Pete Davidson), and IT specialist Hugo (Rhenzy Feliz). On their trail is Agent West (John C. Reilly), who recruits hacker Reagan Gardner (Zoë Kravitz) to help him keep up with their methods.
Following The Fall Guy, Leitch once again mixes action and comedy, and How to Rob a Bank finds an engaging rhythm early. Hoult’s everyman charm makes Ryan easy to follow, even when his decisions give us reason to question his judgment.
Bianculli’s screenplay makes a smart choice by grounding the crew in recognizable financial struggles. These characters aren’t using their robberies to bankroll extravagant lifestyles. Their lower- and middle-class circumstances give their frustrations weight, and Ryan comes across as someone who wants to change a system he believes has failed people like him. Hoult sells that conviction without making the character feel smug or invincible.
Davidson also makes a strong impression. The role gives him more to do than deliver one-liners, and he handles the heavier moments and action sequences well. Sawai and Feliz receive room to develop their characters, helping the crew feel like a group of people with individu l stakes in the outcome.
On the other side of the chase, Reilly brings welcome humanity to Agent West. The screenplay avoids making him a chest-thumping authority figure, allowing him to be a man who believes in the law without treating his badge as permission to abuse it. Kravitz provides solid support as Gardner, whose technical skills give West another way to pursue the crew.
Where "How to Rob a Bank" loses some footing is its third act. The crew’s frustrations give the story substance, but the fuller explanation of their motivations arrives with a heavier tone that slows the momentum. I understood what the film wanted to say about sticking it to the system. I just wanted it to hold on to more of the playful energy that made the earlier stretch so enjoyable.
Hoult remains engaging through that shift, though even his charm can’t completely smooth out the change in gears. The drama has a place in this story; it simply needs a better balance with the action and comedy surrounding it.
Still, How to Rob a Bank has an appealing cast and enough laughs and action to make for an entertaining matinee. The third act could use a lighter touch, but this crew makes the getaway worth watching.
Final Grade: B
"How to Rob a Bank opens in theaters on November 12.
