But as Hopwood readily admits, the movie did not prepare him for the reality of bank robberies, which eventually saw him serve eleven years in prison.
A little over two decades after its release, Heat still stands as a well-regarded heist thriller with audiences and critics alike.
The film was so influential that it was one of the inspirations for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, as well as Shon Hopwood’s career as a thief.
The cat and mouse game between De Niro’s professional thief and Al Pacino’s dogged police officer who’s hot on nabbing him has some scenes of unbelievable action, and firecracker dialogue.