Den of Thieves (2018) || The Bad Guys Deserved a Win

Okay, hear me out, I know I’m supposed to root for justice, for the cops, for the supposed ‘good guys’ to save the day and all that but this film completely flipped that for me. I wanted the criminals to win. Yes, I said it. I wanted them to pull off that heist, get the money, and vanish into the sunset. Instead, I sat there, jaw clenched, watching my favorite crew fall apart, one by one and by the end, when my crush died, I genuinely felt heartbroken.

Synopsis(no spoilers)

The movie, directed by Christian Gudegast, throws us into the gritty streets of Los Angeles, where elite cops led by Gerard Butler’s(Big Nick) go head-to-head with a crew of expert thieves led by Pablo Schreiber(Ray Merrimen). It’s classic cat-and-mouse energy, tactical planning, brutal shootouts, and testosterone-filled standoffs that keep your pulse racing. But as the story unfolded, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was cheering for the wrong side… or maybe the right one, depending on how you see it.

What upset me about the resolution of this film was that the money these guys were after wasn’t even “real” in a moral sense. It was unwanted cash, old bills meant to be shredded and burned by the Federal Reserve. So tell me why I should feel bad about them taking what would’ve literally gone up in smoke? When you think of how many people struggle to eat, seeing that kind of money just wasted feels like a slap in the face. Maybe I don’t understand the intricacies of finance and national reserves, but to me, stealing or should I say tactfully collecting money that was already scheduled for destruction doesn’t sound like a crime, it sounds like poetic justice.

So yes, when everything started crumbling for the crew, I felt betrayed by fate. The film made me care about them. I admired their discipline, their loyalty, their code. And when Merrimen took that bullet, I wasn’t thinking, “yay, the cops win.” I was thinking, “damn it, he didn’t deserve to be taken out.” He was flawed, sure, but he had that rare kind of control and purpose that made me root for him even when I knew I shouldn’t.

To be fair, this film nails its action sequences. The final shootout? Pure chaos, the kind that makes you hold your breath without realizing it. The kind that made my heart race in ecstasy watching Merrimen’s gunfire skills. The realism, the grit, the sound design, all top-tier. But emotionally, it hits differently when you’re secretly on the losing side. I was left staring at the screen, half-expecting someone to stand back up and prove me wrong.

In the end, Den of Thieves is a wild, adrenaline-fueled crime thriller that plays its moral lines beautifully grey. But for me? It’s a tragedy. The wrong team won.

Rating: 8/10

Do I recommend it ? Well, if you're one who loves high-stakes heists, tactical showdowns, or stories where the villains have more heart than the heroes, yes! But, if you’ve ever looked at wasted money and thought, “That could’ve fed somebody,” this one’s going to sting just a little.

PS: I honestly don’t know how I missed this gem for how long? It features 50 Cent too. Not a big fan of him but his name in it makes it stand out. Also, I heard a sequel came out earlier this year. Will check it out.

Posted Using INLEO