Director David Leitch pushed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create a dedicated competitive category for stunt performers, leading to the establishment of the Best Achievement in Stunt Design award beginning in 2028, the Fort Worth Report reported.
Leitch draws on his background as a former stunt performer in films such as The Fall Guy and Bullet Train.
The film follows Nicholas Hoult as Ryan, the leader of a group of bank robbers who livestream their crimes in Pittsburgh. The thieves operate under a strict two-minute time limit to evade police while avoiding DNA evidence and using bogus 911 calls reporting bomb threats to divert authorities.
“You know what’s more powerful than money?” Hoult’s character asks in the film. “An audience.”
The crew includes getaway driver Emi, played by Anna Sawai, military veteran and muscle Vince, played by Pete Davidson, and tech hacker Hugo, played by Rhenzy Feliz. The group wears animal masks and broadcasts their 15 heists across the Pittsburgh area to inspire copycat criminals.
John C. Reilly stars as weathered FBI agent John West, who teams up with a tech-savvy junk-food junkie named Reagan Gardner to track down the thieves. Zoë Kravitz plays Gardner, who is under house arrest and stripped of technology after creating dangerous tracking software.
Agent West recruits Gardner with the promise of a full pardon if she uses her software to locate the social media bank robbers. The dynamic mirrors Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action film Point Break, featuring Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey chasing surfing bank robbers led by Patrick Swayze.
“I was waiting for West to fire his gun into the air in frustration,” the Fort Worth Report noted regarding the film’s familiar confrontation between West and Hoult’s character.
While Ryan and Emi’s motivation stems from the death of their young son from cancer, that plotline struggles to connect emotionally with audiences. Davidson’s performance as an Army combat veteran dealing with PTSD and lung cancer offers a stronger dramatic anchor.
The production also draws inspiration from Bigelow’s 1995 film Strange Days during a chaotic street chase scene.
The soundtrack features tracks by Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Run The Jewels, Lily Allen, Childish Gambino, The Hives, and Jane’s Addiction. How to Rob a Bank is currently playing in theaters.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the Best Achievement in Stunt Design award beginning in 2028 following a push from director David Leitch.
The Gen Z thieves manage to pull off 15 robberies in the Pittsburgh area over the course of three months while evading authorities.
John C. Reilly plays FBI agent John West, and Zoë Kravitz plays his partner, Reagan Gardner.