Movie · 2025 · Crime, Comedy, Drama · 2h 6m · R · English
Curator score: 4.8/10 (416.2K ratings)
Based on actual events. And terrible decisions.
Overview
A former Army Ranger and struggling father turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname "Roofman." After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.8/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.46/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Derek Cianfrance
Production
Limelight, High Frequency Entertainment, 51 Entertainment, Miramax, Von Waaden Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment
Cast
Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Díaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, Peter Dinklage, Emory Cohen, Molly Price, Tony Revolori, Kirana Kuic, Gabriella Cila, Alissa Marie Pearson, Esme McSherry, Stella Gunn, Joe Bruno, Dan Marks
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm-blooded crime dramedy with real emotional pull, Roofman sounds like the kind of true-story oddity that works because it treats a ridiculous premise seriously. The appeal is the contrast between the absurd hiding-place setup and the melancholy, human story of a charming screw-up trying to outrun his life.
Best for
fans of character-driven crime stories
viewers who like tragicomic true stories
audiences drawn to charismatic antiheroes
people who enjoy romance complicating a heist plot
fans of grounded, empathetic filmmaking
Skip if
you want a hard-edged thriller with constant suspense
you dislike movies that soften criminals with empathy
you prefer tightly plotted capers over messy character studies
you are not in the mood for tonal shifts between comedy, romance, and drama
Overview
Roofman plays like a stranger-than-fiction American folk tale: part caper, part romance, part portrait of a man who keeps improvising his way deeper into trouble. The hook is irresistible, but the movie’s real strength is that it seems to understand the sadness underneath the stunt. It is less interested in celebrating criminal ingenuity than in watching a damaged, likable man keep making choices that narrow his future.
Worth noting
Derek Cianfrance is a strong fit for this material because he tends to find tenderness inside chaos, and that sensibility gives the story weight beyond its high-concept premise. The result should be funny in an uneasy way, with the kind of emotional friction that makes a true-crime movie feel lived-in rather than mechanical. Channing Tatum’s natural charm is a major asset here, especially when the film asks the audience to believe in both the con and the loneliness.
Bottom line
If it lands, Roofman becomes the rare crime film that is as interested in longing and domestic fantasy as it is in escape and pursuit. The setup is memorable, but the lasting impression is likely to come from the human messiness: a man trying to be invisible, then suddenly wanting to be seen.
Top Letterboxd reviews
allain♡ · 7312 likes
when the man is too much of a green flag you had to ask if he’s gay before making the move 😭
vivdagoat 🍎🍂🐞 (4★) · 7045 likes
MY NAME JEFF
haley (3.5★) · 5814 likes
well, that explains why toys r us went bankrupt
siobhan (3★) · 5761 likes
his one true calling was really just being a girl dad
1998 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 2h 1m · R · Curator 8.0/10 (147.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For the slow-burn dread of ordinary people making one bad decision after another.
2012 · Comedy, Crime, Drama · 1h 39m · PG-13 · Curator 9.7/10 (1K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MUBI, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A true-story dark comedy that treats a bizarre real-life crime with wit and human complexity.