When talking of Hollywood heist films, people often recall the Ocean’s franchise, Inside Man, Heat, and even Baby Driver. But rarely do they recall the 2010 heist thriller Takers, starring Idris Elba. But turns out, despite being largely forgotten today, the film earned unexpected praise from one of the most respected writers, Stephen King.
In an editorial for EW, the horror legend had listed his top 10 favorite movies of 2010, and surprisingly, Takers had made the cut. King praised the film for being a “satisfyingly complex cops-’n’-robbers movie,” highlighting the strong performances from Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, and even the Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen.
This satisfyingly complex cops-‘n’-robbers movie features great performances from Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, and — surprising but true — Hayden Christensen. The climax strains credulity, but the characters feel real, and the armored-car heist is the best action sequence I’ve seen this year.
The author admitted the climax of the film felt a little unrealistic, but he also noted that the characters felt real and grounded. But overall, what impressed him the most was the stylish armored truck robbery, which he called the best action scene he saw that entire year, leading him to place Takers at #5 on his list.
Despite Stephen King’s Praise, Takers Faltered at the Box Office
Despite leaving Stephen King impressed by the story and performance, Takers failed to earn the admiration of critics following its 2010 release. The heist thriller surprisingly slipped through Hollywood’s cracks, despite starring the likes of Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, and Hayden Christensen.
The film that followed a group of professional bank robbers planning one last high-risk job involving an armored truck ended up with a low 28% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. So it seems that, despite landing at #5 on King’s 2010 editorial listing, Takers failed to click with fans, becoming a rarely discussed movie in recent years.
The table contains basic details on Takers:
MovieTakers (2010)DirectorJohn LuessenhopCastIdris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, and Hayden ChristensenRotten Tomatoes Score28%Runtime1h 47m
Not to mention, Takers even faltered at the box office earning barely $69.1M worldwide, against its $32M budget (via Box Office Mojo). Which means the movie managed to break even, but failed to earn profits, thus becoming a financial disappointment. It seems that even the film’s stylish armored-car heist and iconic action sequences couldn’t save it from failure.
One Christopher Nolan Thriller Earned King’s Respect
On the other hand, Stephen King’s 2010 list didn’t just shine a light on Takers, it also revealed his unexpected love for a major Christopher Nolan film. At #3 on his list sat Inception, Nolan’s mind-bending thriller about dream thieves who infiltrate layered subconscious worlds. And just like the rest of us, King admitted he didn’t totally understand the complex dream-within-a-dream rules.
A still from Inception (2010) | image: Warner Bros.
However, that didn’t stop him from enjoying every minute of it. On his EW editorial list, King confessed that he was “baffled” by the film’s puzzle-like structure, yet he found the experience “delightful”. And overall, what impressed him most was the sheer ambition of Nolan’s vision, from rotating hallways to collapsing dream cities to the emotional story buried beneath the action.
Did I fully understand the dream-within-a-dream concept? I did not. Nor did I care. Christopher Nolan’s delirious dreamscapes filled me with delight and wonder, and that was enough. TV is often great at what it does, but sometimes only the big screen will do. For long stretches of Inception, I was literally unable to look away.
It seems that even though Stephen King is known for crafting twisty, psychological horror stories himself, Inception still managed to surprise him and keep him glued to the screen. In his review, the author mentioned that he was literally “unable to look away” during long stretches of the movie, which made him realise that some films simply demand the big-screen experience.
Do you agree with Stephen King’s opinions about Takers and Inception? Let us know in the comments.
Takers is streaming on Starz, Prime Video, and Tubi. Inception is streaming on HBO Max.
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