Honest Thief

Honest Thief is a 2020 American action-thriller film[4] 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 former bank robber who turns himself into authorities, only to be set up by them.

Honest Thief
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Williams
Produced by
  • Mark Williams
  • Myles Nestel
  • Tai Duncan
  • Craig Chapman
Written by
Starring
Music byMark Isham [1]
CinematographyShelly Johnson
Edited byMichael P. Shawver
Production
company
  • The Solution Entertainment Group
  • Zero Gravity Management
  • Samuel Marshall Films
  • Ingenious
Distributed by
Release date
  • October 16, 2020 (2020-10-16) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$30.1 million[2][3]

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.

Plot

Sneaking around Boston for years, Tom Dolan has become a master thief, earning the nickname the "In-and-Out Bandit" for his slick ways when it comes to stealing large amounts of money. He turns over a new leaf when he meets and falls in love with Annie Wilkins, a psychology graduate student working at a storage unit facility. A year into their relationship, Tom attempts to turn himself in to the FBI in exchange for a short sentence so he can put his criminal past behind him. FBI Agent Sam Baker brushes him off, having received several false confessions in the past, and sends subordinates John Nivens and Ramon Hall to interview him. Tom directs them to the storage unit where his money is hidden, but Nivens convinces Hall to steal the money and keep it for themselves. Nivens and Hall confront Tom at gunpoint at his hotel, but Baker unexpectedly arrives; Nivens murders Baker, and Tom is forced to flee with Annie when she also arrives at the hotel.

Tom tells Annie everything and orders her to flee, fearing for her safety. However, she returns to the storage unit to get security camera evidence that shows Nivens and Hall stealing the money. Nivens and Hall show up and Nivens knocks Annie unconscious, but an increasingly reluctant Hall tricks him into thinking she is dead and takes the evidence, unbeknownst to Nivens. Tom finds Annie and races her to the hospital. He then escapes from police pursuit, defeats Baker's partner Sean Meyers in a fistfight, and tells him what really happened before escaping. Nivens goes to the hospital to kill Annie, but can't get near her because she is under police guard.

Tom ambushes Hall in his home and convinces him to give up the security footage at the storage company which would incriminate the agents and the location of the safe house where the money was kept. Tom gets Annie out of the hospital and leaves her in a safe place, then destroys Nivens' house. Nivens flees to the safe house and meets up with Hall, where Tom confronts them. When Nivens discovers Hall turned over the security footage, he murders him in a rage, wounds Tom, and escapes. Anticipating his actions, Tom plants a dud bomb in Nivens' car, forcing him to call in a bomb squad to disarm it. When the police discover the stolen money, Nivens is arrested.

Agent Meyers receives a voice recorder which recorded the conversation between Nivens and Hall before the gunfight at the safe house, proving Tom's innocence in the death of Agent Baker. Tom turns himself in, and Meyers promises to try to get a lighter sentence for Tom.

Cast

Production

On October 12, 2018, it was announced that Liam Neeson and Kate Walsh would star as a bank robber Tom Carter and his love interest Annie, respectively, in the thriller film Honest Thief with Mark Williams directing it, while in talks for other roles were Jai Courtney and Jeffrey Donovan. Tai Duncan, Myles Nestel, Williams, and Craig Chapman would be producing the film.[5] Courtney and Donovan were confirmed along with Anthony Ramos, and Robert Patrick added to the cast in November, with filming beginning on November 5.[6][7] The film, set in Boston, was shot in and around Worcester, Massachusetts.[8]

Release

In January 2020, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film and set it for a September 4, 2020 release.[9] It was then re-scheduled to be released on October 9, 2020.[10] In June 2020, it was announced Open Road Films would co-distribute the film with Briarcliff.[11] After temporarily getting pulled from the schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the film's U.S. release was set for October 16, 2020, the day the film was released.[12] Due to the lack of big-budget competition, the film also played in IMAX and Dolby theaters.[13][14]

Reception

Box office

Honest Thief grossed $14.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $15.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $30.1 million.[2][3]

In the United States, the film grossed $1.3 million from 2,425 on its first day, including $225,000 from Thursday night previews screenings. It went on to debut to $3.6 million ($4.1 million including Canada's opening weekend the previous week), topping the box office.[13] In its second weekend the film made $2.4 million, remaining in first,[15] before being dethroned by newcomer Come Play in its third weekend.[16]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 40% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating 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."[17] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18] According to PostTrak, 75% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 53% saying they would definitely recommend it.[13]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety complimented Neeson for not phoning in his performance but wrote "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."[19] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck 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."[20]

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 (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  3. "Honest Thief (2020) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  4. "Liam Neeson Action-Thriller 'Honest Thief' Sells To UK". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  5. 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.
  6. "'Hamilton' Star Anthony Ramos Joins Liam Neeson's 'Honest Thief' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  7. "Robert Patrick In Talks To Board Liam Neeson-Kate Walsh Action-Thriller 'Honest Thief'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. "Honest Thief". IMAX. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. "Honest Thief (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  18. "Honest Thief Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  19. 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.
  20. 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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