Rent Thieves Like Us (1974)
3.4 of 5 from 109 ratings
1h 58min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Robbing 36 banks was a breeze!! Watch what happens when they hit the 37th. Wonderfully directed by acclaimed director Robert Altman, 'Thieves Like Us' delves into the lives of Depression-era on-the-lam bank robbers. In 1930s Mississippi, convicted murderer Bowie (Keith Carradine) and his two buddies make a daring escape from prison. With jobs scarce, they turn to the only thing they will know: robbing banks. Armed and dangerous, they leave a trail of empty banks and gun smoke in their wake through the Midwest, as the newspapers report their exploits to a rapt public. While holed up in a rural farmhouse, Bowie finds love with a simple young woman named Keechie (Shelley Duvall). Though they dream of a future together, Bowie knows it's only a matter of time before the authorities will move in - with their guns blazing! - Actors:
- Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, John Schuck, Bert Remsen, Louise Fletcher, Ann Latham, Tom Skerritt, Al Scott, John Roper, Mary Waits, Rodney Lee, William Watters, Joan Tewkesbury, Eleanor Matthews, Pam Warner, Suzanne Majure, Walter Cooper, Lloyd Jones, Matthew R. Altman, Sim Dulaney
- Directors:
- Robert Altman
- Producers:
- Jerry Bick
- Writers:
- Calder Willingham, Joan Tewkesbury, Robert Altman, Edward Anderson
- Studio:
- MGM
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- Cinema Paradiso's 2025 Centenary Club: January - March, Films by Genre, Films to Watch If You Like..., The Best American Road Movies, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Robert Altman, What to Watch Next If You Liked Nomadland
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/07/2023
- Run Time:
- 123 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Audio Commentary by Director Robert Altman
- Brand New Interviews With Co-Screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury And Star Keith Carradine
- Geoff Andrew On Thieves Like Us - The Critic Discusses the Film and It's Place Within Altman's Work
- Two Classic Radio Plays Featured In The Film -The Shadow Written By and Starring Orson Welles and Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police Starring Ed Gardner
- Trailer
- Promotional Image Gallery
More like Thieves Like Us
Reviews (1) of Thieves Like Us
Faithful but Faltering - Thieves Like Us review by griggs
Bank robbers on the run have rarely been portrayed with such plainness as in Thieves Like Us. Where Nicholas Ray’s They Live by Night shaped the story into a moody romance, Robert Altman sticks much closer to the novel—and sometimes a little too closely. The result is faithful but floundering, with a two-hour runtime that stretches like tarmac on an endless back road.
Still, there are rewards. Shelley Duvall gives the film its quiet heart, all awkward charm and nervous glances, while Keith Carradine brings a fragile humanity to the outlaw role. Their tentative relationship feels lived-in, grounding the story when the pacing starts to sag. Altman’s overlapping dialogue and period detail add texture, but the narrative never quite tightens its grip.
It’s an earnest adaptation with flashes of beauty, but also one that proves accuracy alone isn’t enough to keep the getaway car moving at speed.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.