Tom has dedicated a fair portion of his life to robbing banks, stealing more than $9 million in cash over the course of his career. Not that anybody knows that Tom actually stole the loot, of course. The authorities just call him the “In-and-Out Bandit.”
Tom hates that name. But it doesn’t much matter. Because he’s met the love of his life, Annie. See, Tom didn’t think he would ever meet someone that could make him settle down. Now that he has, he’s ready to come clean: Not just to Annie, but to the authorities, too. After all, a relationship can’t be built on lies.
It should be fairly simple. Call up the FBI and confess. So, he does. At first, they don’t believe him. Until, of course, he sends them to a storage unit stuffed with $3 million. But agents Niven and Hall don’t want to talk. Instead, they want to stash the cash for themselves and throw Tom in jail. And they’re going to do whatever they can to make sure that the In-and-Out Bandit spends the rest of his days in prison while they live off his former spoils.
Tom meets Annie and decides to turn himself in after years of bank robbing. He tries to turn himself in even when authorities don’t believe him, and some crooked agents try to kill him. Tom fiercely protects Annie.
Annie defends Tom’s character, even after he lies to her. However, Tom makes it clear that he is turning himself in because he loves Annie and wants to spend a life with her after his inevitable jail time.
Agent Hall’s wife says that she can “feel [his] energy.”
Agent Hall and his wife lay in bed together, fully clothed. Annie and Tom kiss, hug and flirt a few times.
An FBI agent makes a crude joke about losing one’s virginity while another jokes about male genitalia.
When Tom goes to turn himself in, he’s met with hostility and violence. An FBI agent pulls a gun on him and they engage in hand-to-hand combat. In the process, an agent is murdered and left for dead. Later, another agent is murdered. Multiple shoot-outs occur and hand-to-hand combat is common.
Agent Nivens hits Annie, nearly killing her. In retaliation, Annie stabs him in in the leg with scissors and tries to escape but he knocks her unconscious. Agent Nivens plots to kill Annie.
Tom tells Annie that his mother died from pneumonia and that his father, depressed, drove his own car into a tree and died.
Tom blows up agent Nivens’ house. Various scenes show Tom robbing banks and blowing up safes to get to the cash. The crooked FBI agents and Tom dole out multiple death threats to one another.
God and Jesus’ names are each misused once. The f-word is heard once and other profanities include a few utterances of “bulls—t,” “h—,” “a–hole” and “son of a b–ch.”
Agent Nivens takes a considerable amount of prescription pills throughout the film (the label is never shown).
FBI agents steal a large sum of money and lie often. Tom lies to Annie multiple times. Tom hijacks a few cars and takes matters into his own hands instead of going back to the authorities. An FBI agent and his wife work through a messy divorce and the wife screams through the phone about a divorce settlement.
Have you ever wondered what would happen to a notorious bank robber once he’s confessed? Me too.
Honest Thief eventually shows viewers that Tom means business when he says he wants to come clean, but the film itself has a bit of a strange ending. No real resolution, just a bunch of improbable scenes that leave you with questions.
And you might have some questions, too–questions that have to do with the problems that exist, like profanity, sexual jokes and plenty of action and mild violence.
Yes, this thief-turned-family man really tries to right past wrongs, but that doesn’t mean this flick is without its own honest issues.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
