Masterminds

Masterminds, a 2016 comedy-crime film directed by Jared Hess, follows the story of an unlikely group of small-town thieves as they embark on the heist of a lifetime. David (played by Zach Galifianakis), a night guard at a local armored car company, becomes increasingly disillusioned with his mundane life in the Southern U.S. He feels stifled by the lack of excitement and opportunity in his small town and resolves to change his circumstances. One day, while working at the armored car company, David meets a charismatic and cunning fellow named Steve (played by Owen Wilson). Steve is a con artist who has a history of orchestrating elaborate heists. However, he is not a skilled enough thief on his own and often requires the assistance of a partner to carry out his operations. David and Steve form an unlikely friendship, and Steve sees an opportunity in David's position at the armored car company. He convinces David to join him on a daring heist, which involves infiltrating the company's vault to steal a large sum of cash. However, David becomes increasingly involved in the planning stages of the heist, and Steve starts to see him as a valuable partner. As the plot unfolds, David convinces Steve to recruit two other individuals to join the crew: Kelly (played by Kristin Wiig) and Garrett (played by Jason Sudeikis). Kelly is a bank teller who has been embezzling money from her workplace, and Garrett is a small-town cop who is struggling to make ends meet. Despite their vastly different backgrounds and skill sets, they all share a common desire for excitement and financial gain. The group huddles together to come up with a plan to infiltrate the armored car company's facility and steal the cash. However, things quickly become complicated as they discover that the armored car company has implemented new security measures, including state-of-the-art alarms and surveillance cameras. The group also learns that their boss is suspicious of David's behavior and has begun to investigate. Undeterred, the group presses on with their plan. They use their unique skills to bypass security measures and gain access to the vault, where they spend hours counting and bagging the cash. As they prepare to make their escape, they realize that they have underestimated the consequences of their actions. The local authorities are hot on their trail, and they must navigate a complex web of police patrols and surveillance cameras to escape with their ill-gotten gains. The movie's climax features a series of comedic misadventures as the group tries to evade capture. They use their wits and cunning to stay one step ahead of the law, but their amateur status often puts them in embarrassing and precarious situations. In the end, the group manages to escape with a large sum of cash, but not without consequences. As the credits roll, it becomes clear that the movie's tone is largely satirical, poking fun at the conventions of heist movies and the absurdity of the group's situation. The film features a talented cast of comedians, each bringing their unique brand of humor to the table. While Masterminds may not be a traditional heist movie, it offers a fresh perspective on the genre and serves as a hilarious commentary on the human desire for excitement and financial gain.